Passengers travelling between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone are being warned of journey disruptions this weekend due to essential railway upgrades. The work, which includes track and drainage improvements, aims to deliver smoother and more reliable journeys for both passengers and freight services.

Network Rail teams will carry out track replacement near Sudbury Hill station, track maintenance at Oxford, and drainage improvements at Banbury. As a result, the Chiltern main line will be closed between Wembley Stadium and Denham for the entire day on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November. On Sunday morning, additional closures will affect the line between Bicester North and Leamington Spa.

Chiltern Railways services will be impacted, with journeys expected to take longer than usual. Rail replacement buses will operate on the affected routes to maintain connections for passengers.

Neil Gaskin, programme director for Network Rail’s Central route, said:

“These essential railway upgrades and maintenance will help keep the Chiltern main line more reliable for years to come. This work has been carefully planned to keep disruption to a minimum while delivering the most future benefits for passengers and freight and I thank passengers for their patience. If you're planning to travel, plan ahead and check before you travel for the latest journey information and travel advice.”

Michael Stewart, commercial and customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, added:

“I would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as vital engineering work by Network Rail will affect journeys on our route between London and the West Midlands this weekend. Please check your journeys ahead of travelling as they may be disrupted or involve a rail replacement bus.”

Passengers are advised to review timetables in advance and allow extra time for their journeys while the upgrades are carried out.

Image: Network Rail