Easter trains: which rail routes will be closed?

Rail passengers have been told to expect major disruption to travel this Easter weekend as improvement works are carried out across the country.

"There is never a good time to carry out this type of work but we have liaised closely with the train operators to plan for it to take place at a quieter time on the railway," Network Rail route managing director Martin Frobisher told ITV News.

Mayor Boris Johnson had warned Network rail to implement contingency plans this Easter to avoid the chaos witnessed over Christmas.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

All rail customers in the UK are advised to check with National Rail and their train operators before travelling this Easter weekend.

Affected train operators include:

Virgin

Virgin "strongly recommends" that customers avoid travelling between Easter Friday and Monday as major improvement works will be carried out at Watford Junction.

• There will be no trains or bus replacement services running to or from London.
• Trains will run as far south as Milton Keynes, Rugby and Northampton
• Services to the north of England and Scotland will also be disrupted, as improvement work is carried out between Crewe and Warrington, and Carlisle and Glasgow

A full list of disrupted services and alternative routes can be found on the company's website

London Midland

"My advice to passengers would be to postpone travel to another date if possible, Terry Oliver from London Midland told the BBC. "Journeys will involve changes and will take much longer than normal," he warned.

• The line will be closed between Hemel Hempstead and London Euston on Friday, Saturday and Monday
• On Sunday, travel will be affected between Northampton and London Euston

A full list of disrupted services and alternative routes can be found on the company's website.

First Great Western

• No train services will run between Hayes & Harlington, Reading and Didcot Parkway
• No train services will run on the Greenford, Windsor & Eton, Marlow and Henley-on-Thames branches
• No trains will call at Acton Main Line, West Ealing or Hanwell

A full list of disrupted services and alternative routes can be found on the company's website.

Southern

• There will be no services between Milton Keynes and Shepherd's Bush between Friday and Monday
• Delays are likely to services between Horsham and Dorking during the Easter weekend as signalling equipment is updated
• Bus replacements services will be running between London Bridge and West Croydon

A full list of disrupted services and alternative routes can be found on the company's website.

Southeastern

• There will be no services between Gravesend and Maidstone West, but a bus replacement service will be in operation

A full list of disrupted services and alternative routes can be found on the company's website.