Passengers travelling between Nottingham and Leicester will face disruption over the weekend of 15 and 16 November as Network Rail carries out a major track upgrade. No trains will run along this route during the works, with rail replacement buses operating instead.

The £968,000 investment will see 830 metres of new track installed at Mountsorrel, north of Leicester. The project involves fitting the new rail on 1,232 concrete sleepers and supporting them with 3,000 tonnes of ballast. It forms part of ongoing efforts to modernise the railway and deliver smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers.

Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director, said: “This important upgrade at Mountsorrel is part of our ongoing commitment to improving journeys for passengers across the East Midlands. By installing new track, we’re helping to deliver smoother, more reliable services for years to come. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and we appreciate passengers’ patience while we carry out this work.”

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director for East Midlands Railway, urged travellers to plan ahead. “We recommend customers planning to travel on either Saturday 15 or Sunday 16 November to check their journey in advance as the journey will take much longer than usual,” she said.

“Rail replacement buses will be in place between Nottingham and Leicester, with no direct journeys to London from Sheffield or Nottingham. For full details on how to complete your journey, please check the EMR website,” Cresswell added.

Network Rail and East Midlands Railway thanked passengers for their understanding and patience while the essential work is completed, highlighting the long-term benefits of improved reliability and smoother services once the project is finished.

Image: Network Rail