'Look before you book’ this August bank holiday in North West

Rail passengers are being urged ‘look before they book’ as major improvements are made to key North West rail routes this August bank holiday.

Millions of pounds is being invested to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.

On the days between Saturday 28 and Monday 30 August:

• Signalling – the traffic lights of the railway – will be upgraded as part of a £36m investment at Trafford Park in Manchester*
• Railway track will be upgraded between Macclesfield and Adlington**
• £5m will be invested replacing two railway bridges by Warrington Central station***

On the routes affected passengers will have longer journeys, fewer available seats, and may need to use rail replacement buses.

The advice to those planning to travel during the railway improvements is to ‘look before you book’ by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “The essential improvements taking place over the August bank holiday will improve future journeys for passengers so they can use the railway to get to work and increasingly for leisure to visit friends and family or take a holiday.

“While much of the network will be open as usual, some journeys in the North West will be different with train diversions, slightly longer journey times or bus replacements between certain locations. I’d urge people planning on travelling over the August bank holiday to ‘look before you book’ using National Rail Enquiries so you know exactly what to expect from your journey.”

With domestic tourism in high demand this summer across the country, Network Rail’s bank holiday engineering work has been planned to minimise disruption to passengers with very few lines, stations and destinations impacted by the national £90m investment programme.

Passengers are advised to follow government guidance and wear a face covering in busy indoor settings unless they are exempt.

With good ventilation systems on trains, extra cleaning and improved information about quieter times, passengers can continue to travel with confidence.

People can find out how their journeys will be affected by visiting:

www.nationalrail.co.uk,

or contacting their train operators, National Rail Enquiries, or following #AugustBHWorks on Twitter.

*During the Trafford Park signalling upgrade buses will replace Northern trains between Manchester and Liverpool via Warrington Central and Widnes.

**420 metres of track will be upgraded in Adlington on Sunday 22 August. Another 450 metres of track will be upgrade in Macclesfield on Sunday 29 August. Buses will replace Northern trains between Stockport and Stoke-on-Trent. Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry trains will be diverted.

*** During the Warrington bridge upgrades, buses will replace Northern trains between Manchester and Liverpool via Warrington Central and Widnes. East Midlands Railway services will be diverted.

Pictured - Engineers replacing bridges at Warrington Bank Quay station.