The West Coast Mainline and other mainlines across the West Midlands reopened in full this morning following a series of works that took place over the 2024-2025 festive period.

The works undertaken by thousands of Network Rail staff saw projects completed in Milton Keynes Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester, Wigan and Bolton which will improve future journeys for passengers and freight services.

The projects undertaken included the completion of a two-year scheme to upgrade a major freight depot at Crewe Basford Hall along with the upgrade of digital signalling through Crewe station.

The completion of the Wigan to Bolton overhead powerlines, which were switched on for testing on January 1st. The upgrading of overhead power lines between Manchester and the WCML also took place.

At the southern end of the WCML, tracks through the restrictive bores of Northchurch tunnel were also re-laid, while drainage and upgrade work between Milton Keynes and Watford Junction also took place.

The track was also replaced around the approaches to Birmingham New Street station.

Network Rail is immensely grateful to passengers who have been thanked for their patience over the duration of these works some of which lasted the full two weeks of the holiday season.

“Over the holidays season, many of our colleagues across the route, region and supply chain were out in force on the railway delivering a £20m package of upgrades.

The completed mammoth projects, which included the modernisation the traffic lights of the railway and overhead line equipment in Crewe, the start of works to rebuild a overbridge on Stockport’s high street and the electrification of the Wigan to Lostock Junction railway, were designed to drive up the reliability of passenger and freight services right across the West Coast Main Line and into Greater Manchester.

While these upgrades were delivered as a package to prevent journeys being disrupted on consecutive weekends throughout the year, we are grateful to passengers for their patience while bus service replacements were in operation across some parts of the network.”

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director,