Railway upgrade to disrupt travel this Christmas
Passengers advised to plan ahead as 11 days of closures begin
Travel between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby will be disrupted over Christmas as engineers carry out a significant upgrade to the Hanslope junction section of the West Coast Main Line.
The mile-long stretch of railway lies seven miles from Milton Keynes and carries over 3,300 passenger and freight services weekly. Over the past five years, faults have caused more than 11,000 minutes of train delays at this junction.
The £26m upgrade to Hanslope junction will begin on Christmas Eve and continue until the morning of 5th January. The work includes replacing 130 pieces of track, improving foundations, and upgrading points, switches, and crossings to boost reliability and reduce future delays.
Additional improvements planned
Several other projects are set to be completed during the closure, including platform renewals at Milton Keynes Central and Wolverton stations, track upgrades near Roade, and a bridge refurbishment in Stafford:
Milton Keynes Central station – Platform 4 renewal: This £3.66m project will improve surface safety by replacing concrete planks.
Wolverton station – Platforms 3 & 4 resurfacing: Over £2m will be invested to improve platform surfaces and train stepping distances.
Track renewal near Roade: Around £600,000 will be spent installing over 1,500 metres of new rail near Roade.
Newport Bridge, Stafford: £5.4m will ensure safer road and rail infrastructure for people in Stafford.
London Euston will also benefit from quieter periods during the upgrade, with improvements including repairing floor tiles, painting ramp railings, deep cleaning, and enhanced wayfinding signage.
Travel advice for passengers
As a result of the works, there will be no trains operating between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby from Christmas Eve evening until the morning of 5th January. Two additional Sunday closures on 11th January and 25th January will allow for follow-up tamping and drainage work.
Rail passengers are advised to plan ahead, allow extra time, and prepare for bus-replacement services during some parts of their journey. Trains may experience higher passenger volumes during these periods. Up-to-date travel information can be found at National Rail .
“This is a much-needed upgrade which will reduce the number of delays passengers have to experience on the railway and future-proof the West Coast Main Line for decades to come," Steve Hopkinson, Network Rail’s operations director for the West Coast South route, said.
“We have worked hard with our train operator partners to limit disruption to people travelling this Christmas, but please check your journey before you travel.”