Passengers travelling between London Euston and the West Midlands face changes over Christmas and New Year as a railway bridge near Northampton is replaced.
Trains will not run between Northampton and Rugby via Long Buckby from Sunday 27 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 inclusive. Replacement buses are planned between Northampton and Rugby, calling via Long Buckby.
The six-day closure will allow Network Rail to replace the 65-year-old deck of a bridge carrying the railway over the River Nene. The £9.3 million project is intended to protect the structure from river erosion and reduce the need for future maintenance.
How journeys will change
The closure affects the route via Long Buckby, not every railway line or every train serving London Euston. Passengers whose journeys normally use the affected section may need to allow for a replacement bus and check how it connects with their trains.
For affected stopping services, trains are planned between London Euston and Northampton on one side of the works. On the other side, trains are planned between Rugby and Birmingham International on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 December. From Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December, the Rugby services are planned to run to and from Birmingham New Street.
A separate programme of overhead line work means no trains will serve Birmingham New Street from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December inclusive. The station will remain open for access to its shopping facilities and the city centre, even though trains will not be calling there.
There are changes beyond the six days of the bridge closure. Amended timetables are planned for some services to and from Euston from Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January inclusive. The end of the bridge closure on 1 January should not be taken to mean that every train has returned to its usual timetable the next day.
One planned New Year’s Day change affects the 21:13 Crewe to Northampton service. It is due to divert between Rugby and Northampton and terminate at Milton Keynes Central. A replacement bus is planned from Rugby to Northampton via Long Buckby.
What the bridge work involves
Engineers will remove the existing 51-metre deck and install a new structure with improved drainage and waterproofing. The work is designed to make the railway more resilient as well as limiting the maintenance required in the longer term.
The project extends to the track and electrical equipment around the bridge. Sleepers, 400 metres of rail and 720 tonnes of ballast are to be removed and reinstalled, while two overhead line structures will be renewed. Ballast is the bed of stone that supports railway sleepers and helps keep the track stable.
Preparations have already included installing foundations and supports for overhead line equipment. The bridge replacement itself remains planned for the Christmas closure; it has not yet been completed.
Other festive engineering on the route includes improvements to track drainage in Crick Tunnel in Northamptonshire. Power supply work is also planned between North Wembley and Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, including overhead wiring and high-voltage cabling.
Planning a festive journey
Travellers should check the whole journey, including any bus connection, rather than only the train departing from their first station. Replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and passengers are being advised to leave extra time.
People who need assistance or want to take a bicycle should check the arrangements for replacement transport before travelling. Bus pick-up and drop-off points can differ from the usual train platform, so passengers should check the details for the station they are using.
Christmas services also operate differently from a normal week. There will be no national rail services in Great Britain on Christmas Day, while most operators will not run on Boxing Day. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, trains on some routes finish earlier than usual.
Timetables can still change, so passengers should check again with their operator or a rail journey planner before setting off, especially if travelling across more than one affected route.
