People travelling by train over the Easter weekend are set to face disruption with a large programme of engineering works planned

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Britons travelling by train over the Easter weekend will face disruption with a large programme of engineering works planned.



The pressure is on Network Rail to make sure the works finish on time to avoid the travel chaos seen at Christmas when overrunning improvements led to delays.

While people take to the roads and skies for bank holiday getaways, many have been advised to avoid travelling by train.

Virgin Trains said it was “strongly recommending” that passengers do not travel between Good Friday and Easter Monday, while the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said people may want to think twice about their method of travel.

“If you are travelling between Friday and Monday night please check your journey first,” he told the Evening Standard. “I’m sorry if it is more difficult – but my promise is that the work is essential and when it’s done the benefits will be worthwhile.”

Work at Watford means there will be no Virgin or London Midland trains into or out of London’s Euston station between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Virgin trains will run no further south than Milton Keynes, Rugby or Northampton, and there will be no direct London Midland services between Euston and Hemel Hempstead.

There will be improvement work on the west coast line between Crewe and Warrington and between Carlisle and Glasgow, which will severely restrict Virgin services to northern England and Scotland.

Work will also take place between Manchester and Bolton, and Manchester Victoria station will be closed.

There will be no Southeastern services over Easter to or from the London stations of Charing Cross, Waterloo East or Cannon Street.

Other services disrupted due to engineering work include to parts of Kent, through Reading and from London Paddington.

An estimated 1.8 million Britons are expected to head overseas for the holiday, and roads are expected to be clogged with around 16m cars.