Rail works to cause major Easter delays

[Sazz]

Rail users face massive disruption over Easter, with services from virtually every major line out of London due to be interrupted for large-scale engineering work.

Tube travellers also face longer journeys with reduced services and some line closures. Engineers will face a race against time to finish before Tuesday's return to work.

Among the biggest risks for delays after Easter will be a major project at Clapham Junction to replace a bridge. Work will begin in the early hours of Good Friday and is scheduled to finish early on Tuesday morning.

George Muir, director general of the mainline Association of Train Operating Companies, admitted that Easter is a "very busy" time - but also that engineering work was best carried out then to take advantage of the four-day break.

Meanwhile the Tube will operate a reduced service throughout the weekend, with the Hammersmith & City line and Central line closed between certain stations.

The London Transport Users Committee said London Underground must take proper control of the private sector companies contracted to carry out the work, to ensure they finish on time.

Rail works over Easter include:


Waterloo: bridge-replacement scheme at Clapham Junction. Engineers say it will be "touch and go" to complete work on time. Delays likely on South West Trains from Waterloo to Portsmouth, Salisbury and the South-West

Victoria: services will also be affected by the Clapham Junction bridge replacement. Limited service and train diversions for South Central Trains from Victoria

Paddington: major track replacement on two of the four mail lines out of Paddington - near Hayes and Harlington - and in the Severn Tunnel. Work begins at midday Easter Saturday and continues all day Easter Sunday. Changes to the whole timetable for services beyond Reading

St Pancras: work on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link on Easter Saturday and Sunday. The station will be closed both days. Midland Mainline trains will start and terminate at Luton, with onward travel to London by Thameslink

Euston: track replacement on the West Coast Mainline between Stafford and Rugby, and between Hemel Hempstead and Rugby. Work begins on Good Friday and finishes on Tuesday.
From Friday until Sunday Virgin services will start and terminate at Northampton with a coach link to Hemel Hempstead for Silverlink trains to and from London.

On Easter Monday Virgin services will start and terminate at Milton Keynes with coaches to Hemel Hempstead for Silverlink London trains.

On Tuesday the line will be closed between Rugby and Lichfield, adding an hour to services to Manchester, Crewe and beyond


King's Cross: engineering works in Yorkshire on Easter Sunday. Services between King's Cross and Leeds will be diverted between Doncaster and Leeds and will not stop at Wakefield

The tube: from Good Friday to Easter Monday an amended timetable means a slightly reduced service across all lines.
There will be no service on the Hammersmith & City line between Hammersmith and Edgware Road and Whitechapel and Barking. H&C and Circle line services between Edgware Road and Whitechapel will operate at 10-minute intervals.

Buses between Hammersmith and Baker Street. There will be a reduced District line service between Putney Bridge and Wimbledon. No Central line service between Northolt and West Ruislip.

from thisistravel.co.uk