Multi-million pound rail upgrade to start in Watford

A multi million pound project to upgrade the West Coast Main Line at Watford is due to get underway next month. Rail bosses say the line has seen huge growth in traffic and passengers over the last five years and add that the scheme, which will cost £81m, will improve the punctuality of train services on the line, one of the most intensively used in the UK. The improvements include the upgrading of signalling and the installation of new junctions and trace. Bosses also want to increase the line speed through Watford from 125mph to 80mph. The work will also see three junctions renewed to the north, south, and in Watford Junction station, over nine miles of track renewed, upgrades to the overhead line equipment in the area to make it more reliable, the renewal of crossovers to facilitate future maintenance of the main line while keeping train services running and signalling along 12 miles of railway between Kings Langley to Watford Junction and Bushey renewed. Passenger trains will not be able to use a 12-mile section of the West Coast Main Line around Watford Junction station on these dates: May 3 to May 5 (bank holiday) August 9 to August 11 August 16 to August 18 August 23 to August 26 2014 (includes summer bank holiday) December 24 to December 29 February 14 2015 to February 16 February 21 to February 23 April 3 2015 to April 6 2015 (Easter weekend) London Overground services between Watford Junction and London Euston will continue to run throughout these line closures.