Britain’s largest Christmas track upgrade complete at Hanslope Junction

Passengers are being thanked for their patience following the completion of Britain’s largest track upgrade over the festive period.

Over 14 days from Christmas Eve, Network Rail and its partner Central Rail Systems Alliance replaced four railway lines across a mile-long section of track at Hanslope Junction, between Milton Keynes and Northampton. The junction sees up to 500 trains a day, making it a critical point on the West Coast Main Line. The work involved replacing 130 track panels, renewing the underlying ballast, and overhauling points, switches and crossings. The project has been described as Britain’s biggest Christmas jigsaw.

All lines reopened at 4am on Monday 5 January, and Network Rail released trackside footage of the first trains running over the upgraded infrastructure. The work forms part of a wider festive investment of nearly £200 million along the West Coast Main Line, contributing to a longer-term £400 million upgrade over the next four years.

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail North West and Central region Capital Delivery director, said:

“We are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to improve future journeys on the West Coast Main Line and these latest projects will make real differences to passenger and freight journeys. We would like to thank passengers for their patience during our work at Hanslope, Milton Keynes and Wolverton stations, and also across the wider network this festive season. With our major bridge renewal in Cumbria continuing until 15 January, we’d like to remind people to check before they travel while we make the railway fit for the future."

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, added:

“We are grateful for our passengers' patience while Network Rail carried out these essential engineering works to futureproof our railway. We’re pleased the line has now reopened as planned and our normal timetable is now back in operation.”

Follow-up work will continue at Hanslope Junction on Sundays 11 and 25 January to secure the new ballast through tamping and to complete drainage improvements. On those days, no trains will run between Milton Keynes and Northampton or Rugby.

Ongoing work at Clifton means journeys from London Euston to destinations north of Preston will also continue to be affected until 14 January.

Image/Video: Network Rail