Network Rail is advising West Coast main line passengers of changes to their journeys from the start of this weekend until the end of next weekend.

Workers will be carrying out upgrade work on the Trent Valley line between Saturday 15 and Sunday 23 July.

Part of the work takes place at Colwich Junction, where Network Rail is spending £8.5 million on work including:

• installing 2km of new track
• replacing 3,300 sleepers
• laying 2,500 tonnes of ballast

It will also continue work on a major scheme to renew the signalling system in the Trent Valley area.

Also during this period, HS2 will move a huge new bridge structure into place. Scores of workers have spend the last six months building the 6,500-tonne concrete bridge beside the railway.

Now it has been built, it will be driven into place on the back of a huge transporter vehicle to become a 56m long, 19m wide bridge to carry the railway southeast of Lichfield Trent Valley station and allow HS2 lines to be built underneath.

Saturday 15 July will also see the start of a six-month closure of the interchange with the Cross City line at Lichfield Trent Valley station for platform 3 to be demolished and rebuilt.

Long-distance trains will use alternative routes, and buses will be provided in place of trains between stations on the Trent Valley line.

Services will also be affected by ongoing industrial action by the RMT and ASLEF unions.

Network Rail is urging passengers to check their train operator’s website for more information – Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway – and is warning that journeys will take longer, might involve rail replacement buses, and will run to different timetables.

Dave Penney, Network Rail North West and Central region passenger director, said: “These major track and signalling improvements on the Trent Valley line will mean better, smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in future. However, complex upgrades like these mean we have no choice but to close sections of railway for old sections of track to be ripped up and replaced with new, and for new signalling equipment to be installed and tested.

“Given this work is over the summer holidays I’d urge anyone planning to travel between 15-23 July to please check National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys. I’d also like to thank passengers in advance for their patience.”

Barry Milsom, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “While Network Rail carry out these major works, we’ll be operating an amended timetable and journeys to and from London Euston will take longer. We strongly advise customers making journeys between 15 and 30 July to plan ahead and check the Avanti West Coast website before travelling.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: “Investing in new track and the upkeep of our railways will support a better travel experience, providing passengers with more efficient journeys on our services in the future.

“As a result of these works, I urge passengers to check their journeys between 15-23 July as the major upgrades will result in either longer journey times, bus replacements or alterations to services along the Trent Valley line.”