Easter misery for rail users as trains between towns replaced with buses
Railway passengers face an Easter weekend nightmare after it was announced no trains will run between Walsall and Rugeley.
Buses will replace trains along the main Chase Line during work on the next stage of the £30 million electrification project.
The rail track needs to be lowered, meaning trains will stop from the end of service tomorrow until 5am on April 8.
The trains will not run between Rugeley Trent Valley and Bescot Stadium so engineers can install overhead lines to power electric trains.
It comes as the Highways Agency also revealed some roadworks on the M6 will not be finished ahead of the Bank Holiday.
However, some work will be done in time in a bid period in a bid to ease congestion for motorists.
The railway work over Easter includes lowering track on the approach to the main Walsall station, through Park Street Tunnel, and rebuilding a platform.
Track will also be lowered at Forest Lane, Canal Aqueduct and Bloxwich Road.
The multi-million pound electrification project, which is due to be completed by December 2017, aims to create faster, more reliable connections between Birmingham New Street and Rugeley.
Liam Sumpter, area director for Network Rail, said: "A significant amount of work is required to upgrade the railway and much is already underway or completed as part of our investment.
"Lowering the track at these locations is essential to allow the line to be electrified. I apologise for the disruption over Easter while the work is completed but can assure passengers that the end result will be a better railway for Walsall and the wider West Midlands."
Mark Goodall, head of route for London Midland, said: "Electrification of the Chase Line is another major step forward for this route that not so many years ago had no regular passenger services.
"Like our passengers we would much prefer to be running trains on the Chase line this Easter.
"However this is a necessary step as we continue to make long lasting improvements to the route."
Despite the rail works there will be some rest bite on the motorway with 12 miles of carriageway resurfacing to be finished between junction 15 and 14 at Stafford on the M6.
Roadworks for junction improvements between junction 10 at Walsall and the Ray Hall interchange at junction eight will also be completed.
However, roadworks as part of the scheme to open up the fourth lane between the junctions 10a and 13 are due to stay over the holiday period.
