Rail passengers face Easter travel chaos as operators close five lines due to engineering works

Rail passengers face chaos over the Easter bank holiday with engineering works set to paralyse large swathes of the network.

Five of Britain’s seven mainline operators will see repairs and upgrades that could ruin the plans of millions hoping to enjoy their first holiday since Covid restrictions ended. 

Some journey times are predicted to quadruple over the four-day weekend starting on Good Friday, April 15.

Customers are being urged to avoid the West Coast Main Line, which carries the most passengers of any major rail route, because of four big engineering projects planned between London and Glasgow.

But details of the Easter delays will not be updated on National Rail Enquiries timetables until March 7, so it is feared many travellers will make plans, unaware of the mayhem.

Some journeys are predicted to quadruple over the four-day weekend starting on Good Friday

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers using Stansted Airport will also face problems as the 50-minute express service to London will be suspended over Easter, replaced by buses. Delays will also affect services between London and the East, South, South West and Midlands, with other lines braced for knock-on overcrowding.

Bruce Williamson, of campaign group Railfuture, said: ‘More people will return to the railways after Covid and it is inevitable some will be inconvenienced by works. A significant package of Easter works is scheduled.’

Seven million rail journeys are usually made over the Easter holiday.

The dozens of engineering schemes – using up to 15,000 workers and costing tens of millions of pounds – set to be announced by Network Rail include closures of the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes and between Coventry and Birmingham.

Work will also take place on the line between Crewe and Warrington and between Carlisle and Glasgow.

The train journey between and London and Milton Keynes normally takes 30 minutes, but is set to take two hours via a replacement bus.

Replacement buses will also run on sections of lines between the capital the South West, including between Clapham Junction and Wimbledon and near Exeter. And there will be no trains between London Victoria and East Croydon for four days. Mainline trains will take 60 minutes longer north of Derby, while Hull will be cut off from the East Coast Main Line.

Last night, Network Rail said: ‘The majority of the railway will be open as usual this Easter, but some routes will be affected by upgrade works. We’re asking passengers to plan ahead.’

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators, said work was usually done over bank holidays as passenger numbers are then about half of their usual levels.