Easter Weekend: Customers urged to plan ahead as maintenance works affect services

East Midlands Railway (EMR) is urging customers to plan ahead and check their journey if they intend to travel over the Easter Weekend.

Network Rail is carrying out 530 upgrade projects worth £83m to improve the railway for passengers across the country.

These works, which include the renewal of track at Duffield, as well as other key improvements in the Midlands, will affect some EMR routes over the Easter weekend. 

The following services will be impacted:

• Buses will replace trains between Matlock and Derby on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April
• There will be no direct EMR trains between Derby - Chesterfield or Derby - London St Pancras on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April
• Buses will replace early morning trains between Kettering and Corby on Saturday 16 April
• Buses will replace trains between Warrington and Liverpool Lime Street on Sunday 17 April

Also, major engineering work is taking place on the West Coast Mainline near London Euston starting on the morning of Good Friday, 15 April, and ending in the evening of Easter Monday, 18 April 2022.

Whilst this engineering work does not directly impact EMR’s ability to run trains, it does mean that its trains to/from London St Pancras and key interchange routes to the West of the country will be much busier than usual – including EMR Intercity and Connect services to/from London St Pancras and EMR Regional services From Manchester, Stoke on Trent and Crewe.

For more information customers can visit EMR’s planned engineering webpage here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/timetables-updates/planned-engineering-works 

Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “These vital works will provide long-term benefits for customers, reducing the need for further maintenance work on the line, while also lowering the risk of possible disruption in the future.

“Any customers who need to travel during the works are strongly advised to plan ahead and check their journey on our website before setting off.”

Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Continuously upgrading our track and equipment means that we can provide better, on-time journeys for passengers in Derbyshire and right along the Midland Main Line.

“We’re working with our train operating partners to keep passengers moving throughout the Easter bank holiday, but there will be some changes to services. I’d urge anybody who needs to travel by train to check their journey in advance to avoid any inconvenience.”