May bank holiday works proceed in Great Britain

In addition to the upcoming coronation of King Charles III on 6 May 2023, and the start of the Eurovision song contest on 7 May 2023, travellers in the United Kingdom will also have to take into account a myriad of works taking place on the British rail network. Network Rail, which operates and develops Britain’s railway infrastructure, will be taking advantage of the bank holidays to upgrade essential infrastructure and urges passengers to plan ahead carefully.

Wigan and Bolton

Major infrastructure works are underway on the 6.5-mile stretch of railway between Wigan and Bolton, with a six-day railway closure starting from this Saturday, to facilitate the electrification of the line. Network Rail’s 78-million-pound investment will allow for cleaner, greener electric trains to serve the key North West towns in the future. Preparations are being made for the installation of high-voltage overhead electricity cables, including alterations to 17 railway structures along the route. Work on one of these structures, the Ladies Lane bridge in Hindley began in March when the road was closed. The upcoming closure will allow engineers to safely work on the tracks without trains running. Replacement buses will run between Wigan North Western, Westhoughton, Daisy Hill, Ince and Lostock during this period, but passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to check National Rail Enquiries to plan their travel in advance. While the closure may cause some inconvenience, the electrification upgrade promises a smoother and more sustainable journey for passengers in the future.

https://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2023/05/05/may-bank-holiday-works-proceed-in-great-britain/