Train Passengers Face 10 Years of Disruption After HS2 Axe
Passengers will endure a decade of disruptions due to major upgrades on the west coast main line
Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, UK
Birmingham: So, here’s the scoop. Passengers are in for a rough ride for the next ten years. They’re kicking off a massive upgrade on the west coast main line, and it’s going to be a real hassle.
Starting next year, they’ll be replacing over 150 miles of wires. Plus, they’re doing signal upgrades and track replacements. The goal? Keep trains running smoothly between Scotland and England.
But here’s the catch: Network Rail plans to close parts of the line for weeks every year. They’ll shut it down for three two-week stretches between 2026 and 2028. It’s going to be a real headache.
And it’s not just a minor inconvenience. This could be the worst disruption we’ve seen in 25 years. A source mentioned there’s a lot of planning going on, but it’s still early days. They’re trying to make sure the line is ready for the future.
Avanti West Coast, the train company, said it’s too soon to know how this will affect their schedule. They run services between London and Scotland, and there’s talk they might be nationalized under a Labour government next year.
The west coast main line is already running close to full capacity. So, any closures will have a big impact on services. The work starting in 2026 is meant to renew the line, not just patch it up.
They’re looking at replacing 155 miles of overhead wires from 1974, renewing 140 miles of track, and swapping out 2,000 signaling units. It’s a big job.
And the cost? It could hit £3.8 billion over the next 10 to 15 years, but Network Rail hasn’t confirmed that yet. They’ve got funding planned until 2028.
This all comes after former PM Rishi Sunak scrapped HS2 to save some cash. Stuart Patrick from the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said it shows how poorly we invest in infrastructure. We’re stuck replacing things that are decades old.
HS2 was supposed to be the long-term fix for congestion on the west coast main line. Now, it’s tough to see how we can shift from air travel to rail.