West Coast Main Line to be shut for weeks at a time on main route from London Euston to Scotland
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Millions of rail passengers have been warned of major disruption on the West Coast Main Line route. If you’ve ever travelled between London Euston, northern England and Scotland, you have most likely hopped on a train that uses this key line. It connects London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh and is used by nine different passenger train operators along with freight firms. So any closures – even planned – will upend millions of journeys.
![[A Metro graphics map showing the sections of the West Coast Main Line affected by Network Rail works and closures starting next year.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236044712-b01a.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Now Network Rail, the owner of the UK’s railway infrastructure, has said that it will have to carry out ‘disruptive’ works, expected to start next year. Network Rail is expected to close parts of the route in blocks each year lasting weeks at a time.
![[A passenger with a suitcase and two chihuahua dogs at London Euston station.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_234788143-0417.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Train stations along the route which are set to be affected include Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle. Industry sources have revealed that the line will close to train over three blocks of two weeks every year between 2026 and 2028.
In total, the West Coast Main Line connects to 46 stations. Although details of the closures are still to be ironed out together with the industry, engineers are expected to start the mammoth project to replace more than 150 miles of overhead wires which were installed in the 1970s.
As part of the works, the signal equipment will also be upgraded along with tracks, The Times reports. Chris Coleman, industry programme director for the north, Network Rail, told Metro: ‘Trilink is an industry-wide programme bringing digital signalling to the west coast mainline, north, as well as renewing track and overhead line equipment that are reaching the end of their life.
