First of three closures to rail line to Euston is this weekend

This week sees the first of three weekend closures to the West Coast main line, the stretch of railway that runs into and out of London Euston. This is the second phase of closures as part of Network Rail’s £81m improvement plan to replace track, signalling equipment and overhead power lines in the Watford area. The first closure took place in May 2014, when similar alternative travel arrangements were put in place. The majority of passengers followed advice to avoid non-essential travel and that’s the message that London Midland is sending out once again. During the August closures, the line will be closed between Hemel Hempstead and London Euston on the following dates: Saturday 9^th August & Sunday 10^th August Saturday 16^th August & Sunday 17^th August Saturday 23^rd August & Monday 25^th August There is one slight change on Sunday 24^th August, when the line will be closed between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston. When the project is complete in April 2015, passengers will benefit from a more reliable train service and robust railway between Milton Keynes and London Euston. The St Albans Abbey Line will also be closed from Saturday 9 August up to and including Monday 25 August. During this closure, road transport will run between Watford Junction and St Albans City, calling at all stations on the Abbey Line. During the main line closures, London Midland will be running train services as far south as Hemel Hempstead. Hemel Hempstead will be the bus/rail interchange point for travel to and from London. Here, passengers will join replacement bus services for Stanmore Underground Station (calling at all stations along the route) approximately every 30 minutes. On Sunday 24 August, trains will run as far south as Milton Keynes Central. Passengers can join replacement bus services between Milton Keynes Central and Stanmore Underground Station (calling at stations along the route) approximately every 30 minutes. The simple message is, during the August closures, passengers travelling to and from London Euston should be prepared for longer journey times and changes on to road transport. On Monday 11 and Monday 18 August, London Midland is advising commuters to check before they travel, as there will be a revised train service in operation to and from London Euston for the majority of the day. Terry Oliver, London Midland’s head of West Coast services said: “If passengers can avoid travelling into and out of the City on these days, then I would advise them to do so. The limited number of trains running means that it will be extremely busy. “London Midland will have staff at stations along the route over the next three weekends to provide assistance and travel advice. “We’d like to thank our passengers in advance for their patience and co-operation.” London Midland has arranged for its tickets to be valid on Chiltern Trains, East Midlands Trains and First Capital Connect, as well as selected London Overground and London Underground routes during the closures. For more information on alternative travel arrangements, visit www.londonmidland.com/watford or pick up a leaflet from a station. Remember to check www.nationalrail.co.uk to plan a journey and for any last minute changes.