We're reminding passengers to continue to follow Government advice around the use of public transport as we prepare engineering works over the late May bank holiday weekend.
Our teams will deliver 490 projects across Britain to maintain and upgrade the railway for passengers and freight operators. The latest bout of planned engineering projects is just some of theessential work we continue to carry out, in line with Government advice, to maintain a safe and operational railway.
The advice to passengers remains that they should only use public transport if they have to. If possible, they should use other methods such as walking, cycling or driving.
People who must travel by rail are urged to follow Government guidelines to keep themselves safe, such as adhering to social distancing guidelines and wearing face coverings.
People who do need to travel are asked to plan their journey in advance to check whether their route is affected by the works taking place.
Passengers should check their journeys with their train operator directly or viaNational Rail Enquiries.
Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said:“While Britain tackles thecoronavirusand social distancing is in place, the railway can carry a fraction of the usual number of passengers. So to make sure there is space for critical workers, please avoid travelling by train unless absolutely necessary.
“This bank holiday, to make sure our railway is at its very best when we emerge from this pandemic, we are continuing to work on and invest in the rail network to make it more reliable for passengers. That means some journeys may be different, so if you have to travel please check your journey before leaving home.”
The major projects this late May bank holiday include:
- A range of work in theLeedsarea, including the ongoing construction of a new platform zero atLeeds station, installation of new switches and crossings at platforms one to five, and track improvement work between Leeds and Wakefield Westgate. This work at Leeds is part of a £161m investment to increase capacity and provide better connections for passengers in Yorkshire. There will be no direct rail service between Leeds and Harrogate over the Late May Bank Holiday weekend, and a reduced service will operate through Wakefield Westgate on Sunday 24 May.
- The installation of almost a mile of new track between Fareham and Eastleigh to help improve train performance in the area. The line between Fareham and Eastleigh will be closed between 23 and 29 May, with replacement buses in operation.
- Renewal of switches and crossings betweenLondon Victoriaand Herne Hill/Peckham Rye, which will improve passenger safety and the reliability of the track. This will mean noSouthernorThameslinkservices running to or from London Victoria over the Bank Holiday weekend.
- The testing of new trains in the Bethnal Green area, which will improve passenger safety. This will result inc2cservices being diverted to Fenchurch Street.
- 采用开关s and crossings re-ballast works in the Wolverhampton area to improve the reliability of rail infrastructure.Avanti West CoastandCrossCountryservices will not call at Wolverhampton on Sunday 24 May. Services in and out ofLondon Eustonwill be affected by this and other works taking place on theWest Coast Main Line, including track renewal at Cheddington and between Crewe and Warrington, to improve track quality.
- 采用开关s and crossings renewals at Carlisle, and earthworks between Preston and Lancaster, to mitigate against future extreme weather events. This will affect services between Manchester Airport/Liverpool Lime Streetand Preston.