Important work finished on the West Coast main line

Work to stop flooding on the West Coast main line between Rugby and Milton Keynes has now finished.

The route has reopened after the £2 million project saw a nine-day closure put in place to improve four kilometres of railway. This involved the installation of drainage channels and ballast being cleaned, using a specialised train, to prevent rain causing floods.

Cleaning the ballast enables the rainwater to drain away faster and makes the track more stable.

James Dean, route director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said: “We know this work has meant longer journeys for some passengers, so I’d like to thank everyone impacted for bearing with us while we carried out this important work.

“We worked closely with train operators to keep people on the move and now this work is done this vital section of the West Coast main line is better protected from adverse weather for passengers and freight services.”

Lawrence Bowman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “I would like to thank our passengers for their patience while Network Rail carried out these important upgrades to the railway.

“We know weather-related delays are frustrating for passengers, which makes this work to prevent future disruption caused by flooding very welcome.”

Gus Dunster, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “We would like to thank customers for their patience while Network Rail carried out vital works between Rugby and Milton Keynes. These improvements will help to better protect the railway from floods, helping to make journeys more reliable for our customers on the West Coast main line.”

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