Thursday, August 22, 2024 Travelers across England and Wales are bracing for significant disruptions during the upcoming bank holiday weekend, the last one before Christmas. With extensive rail engineering work scheduled and road traffic expected to reach unprecedented levels, journeys are likely to be more challenging than usual. Three major intercity rail lines connecting London with the rest of the country will face closures and diversions due to planned Network Rail projects.
Engineers will be working on the East and West Coast main lines and the Great Western route through the Severn Tunnel, leading to slower and more complex travel across the region. East Coast Main Line: Work on digital signaling improvements will close the route between London and Peterborough from Saturday evening, August 24, until Monday morning, August 26. This will affect many travelers, particularly those returning south from the Edinburgh Festival.
The last intercity train from London King’s Cross to Newcastle will depart at 9 PM on Saturday, after which the station will close for 35 hours. West Coast Main Line: Travelers hoping to avoid disruptions by switching to the West Coast route will also face delays and cancellations due to ongoing work at various points, including just outside London Euston. The Manchester-London service will be reduced, with journeys extended by 10 minutes or more.
Great Western Route: Those traveling between South Wales and London will experience significantly longe.