Essential upgrade and improvement works are set to cause disruption for passengers travelling between Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.

The works which will be undertaken by Network Rail, will commence on Saturday 24 February and run across each weekend until Sunday 17 March. This will affect the following weekends:

• Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 February
  
• Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 March
  
• Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 March
  
• Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 March.

Across these days, buses will replace trains between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury and there will also be amended changes to journeys between Birmingham and Shrewsbury.

The works to be undertaken include foundation and ballast works in the Oxley area, using specialist Tamping Machines.

These machines use grabs positioned under the train to lift each section of sleepers which hold the track, the machines also have arms that move or vibrate the ballast under the track, which makes the stones more compact and stable, this makes them less susceptible to movement or subsidence when trains pass on the tracks that are laid on top.

Track work will also be happening around Wolverhampton station, where the running lines will be upgraded, replaced and re-laid, which will make smoother journeys for passengers and freight services.

Steven Ireland, Network Rail Central route head of customer service, said: “Over the next four weekends we’re asking passengers travelling between Birmingham and Shrewsbury to check before they travel while our engineers complete vital upgrades to the railway helping to make journeys more reliable. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we deliver this important work.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: “These engineering works are crucial for the upkeep of the railway and I would like to thank passengers for their patience while Network Rail carries out the upgrades. We will be operating a rail replacement service between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton on four separate weekends and I urge passengers to plan ahead of travelling.”

Dave Whitehouse, safety director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We will be working with industry partners to minimise the disruption whilst these important works are undertaken. We’d like to thank our customers for their understanding and urge anyone travelling on the weekends in question to check before they travel.”

Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk./