Next weekend, Saturday, 3rd and Sunday, 4th August there will be no trains between Leicester and Kettering and Leicester and Nuneaton because of more than £5 million major engineering works.

Network Rail will replace a key set of switches and crossings at Knighton Junction south of Leicester station to improve the reliability of services. In the past, Network Rail teams have often needed to carry out work at the site because of its curved layout. However, as well renewing equipment other strengthening measures will be made to protect other components, which prolong their life.

Knighton junction is a key interchange for trains travelling north to south on the Midland Main Line, and trains travelling east to west between East Anglia and Birmingham. It is intensively used by freight trains.

Some work on the project has already been carried out, and this weekend’s work is to complete the remaining tasks.

As well as work at Knighton junction, additional engineering work is scheduled to be carried out on new overhead lines recently installed and energised between Kettering and Wigston.

The engineering work will require changes to train services in the area, with rail-replacement bus services operating in their place.

Changes to services on Saturday, 3rd and Sunday, 4th August

• The Midland Main Line will be closed between Leicester and Kettering.
• A reduced East Midlands Railway service will operate from Sheffield / Nottingham to London St Pancras, with diversions in place between Leicester and Kettering in both directions.
• Buses will replace trains on services between Leicester, Market Harborough, and Kettering.
• No CrossCountry services will run between Nuneaton and Leicester.
• Buses will replace trains between Nuneaton, Hinckley, Narborough, South Wigston and Leicester, where passengers can connect onto rail transport.

To find out more about how Network Rail looks after Britain’s railway tracks, click here.

Further south, there will be a ten-day disruption to services in the Birmingham area at the end of August because of HS2 work.

We constantly strive to improve our rail network and make journeys better for our passengers. The work we are carrying out at Knighton Junction is a major investment to make the rail network in that area more resilient and reliable.

I know that carrying out engineering work can be disruptive for passengers and I want to thank passengers, in advance, for their patience and understanding while we carry out this work.

I’d encourage all passengers to check their journeys before travelling at www.nationalrail.co.uk or through their train operator.

Tara Scott, Infrastructure Director for Network Rail’s East Midlands route