Passengers in Harrow using the West Coast Main Line are being urged to check their journeys before they travel as important railway upgrades are set to take place over the Early May bank holiday.
Network Rail teams and contractors will be carrying out multiple projects to replace trackside drainage and railway track on sections of the line between London Euston and Milton Keynes. As a result, Euston station will be closed on Sunday 4 May and Monday 5 May, with all trains terminating at Milton Keynes.
People travelling from Harrow and Wealdstone station may be affected, with fewer services running on Saturday 3 May as well. Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and expect changes to their usual journeys.
The multi-million-pound projects aim to improve future journeys for passengers and freight. New track and railway foundation stone, known as ballast, will be installed between Queens Park and Kilburn in North West London. Ongoing drainage improvements will also take place to help prevent flooding near Tring station.
Railway embankment strengthening will be carried out near Harlesden to help prevent landslips. Maintenance work will be taking place between London Euston and Willesden, including replacing track and ballast stones, upgrading overhead power lines, improving drainage systems, repairing bridge brickwork, renewing and refurbishing junctions where trains switch tracks, running new cables through tunnels and realigning tracks.
Passengers are being told to check the latest updates at www.nationalrail.co.uk/spring, with rail replacement buses set to run for parts of some journeys.
Brian Paynter, Network Rail Capital Delivery head of track, said: “There’s a lot of great work happening over the Early May bank holiday to improve the reliability and safety of the railway for passengers and freight. We know some of this will be disruptive, but bank holidays remain the least busy time for carrying out complex upgrades.
“I’d like to encourage people to plan ahead at www.nationalrail.co.uk/spring and recommend to those planning journeys to or from London Euston, to travel either side of the Early May bank holiday weekend for the most straightforward journey.”
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
