The railway between London and Luton will see a major upgrade milestone reached this November as a group of projects along the Midland Main Line upgrade will see progression.
These flagship projects involve major infrastructural expansion through the development of the new Brent Cross West station, a new footbridge at St Albans City station and overhead line upgrades in the south of Bedford. These will collectively enhance the passenger experience across the line, enabling more interconnectivity and accessibility throughout the network.
As the UK progresses with the levelling up agenda, the creation of new stations and travel accessibility in transport-deprived areas will create more economic growth, job opportunities and gentrification in certain areas as businesses could look to relocate to certain areas once transport opportunities improve.
These upgrades are complex in their nature, requiring some of the work to be conducted whilst there are no live trains running. This will mean that no passenger trains will run between St Pancras and Luton on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November; or on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November. Luton will also see a limited supply of services on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December, meaning that passengers are being advised to plan their journeys ahead to avoid the disruption as much as possible.
Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said:
“We’re making great progress on three important projects, which will ultimately bring better journeys for passengers travelling on the southern end of the Midland Main Line.
“I know that many people will be travelling on Sunday 13 November to pay their respects on Remembrance Sunday, and I’m very sorry if our work interrupts your plans. Some of this work was rescheduled to allow people to travel to London for Her Majesty the Queen’s funeral in September.
“We have worked closely with our train operating colleagues to carefully replan this major work, but it will still impact passengers’ journeys. Our best advice is to plan ahead, check before you travel and allow extra time.”
Whilst the lines are closed, Network Rail engineers will look to maximise the disruptions by conducting significant track renewals and other maintenance that will boost the overall resilience and reliability of the network. Enhancing the passenger experience is key to generating growth for UK rail, so works like these will increase support for the industry as it looks to recoup lost profits and passenger numbers over recent years.
Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director for EMR said:
“We are asking any customers planning to travel to or from London over these three weekends to plan ahead and allow plenty of time to complete their journeys.
“We have a reduced train service operating on both our Intercity route and our Connect route, rail replacement buses will be in place between Luton and Hitchin in both directions. Full details can be found on the EMR website.
“We would like to thank our passengers for their patience whilst the engineering work along the Midland Main Line is taking place.”
Want to know more about the opportunities to become a key supplier to the UK rail industry? Attend TransCityRail and access an exclusive marketplace of buyers from Network Rail, HS2, Train Operators, Major Contractors, and all other tiers of the supply chain. For more information and to secure your place click here.
