Travellers on the West Coast Main Line will experience significant disruption over the coming months, as engineering works force cancellations between London and Scotland. Services will be affected for nine weekends, including key holiday periods such as Easter and the May Bank Holiday.
Passengers heading north of Carlisle will need to use alternative routes, with rail replacement buses in operation for journeys to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Avanti West Coast, which operates services along the route, has warned travellers to check schedules in advance.
Signalling Upgrades and Track Maintenance to Impact Journeys
The disruption is part of a Network Rail programme involving track renewal, drainage improvements, and infrastructure maintenance at various locations along the route, particularly between Carstairs and the Scottish border.
According to Network Rail Scotland’s route director, Ross Moran, these works are “vital to the long-term future of the line” and will help to provide “a more reliable railway for passengers and freight customers.” The affected areas include Abington, Thankerton, Symington, and Elvanfoot, where essential maintenance will take place.
Passengers travelling to Scotland from London Euston will need to use LNER or Lumo services from King’s Cross to Edinburgh. Meanwhile, the TransPennine Express will operate an amended timetable for its services between Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
Services will be suspended or modified across the following weekends:
- Sunday 30 March
- Sunday 6 April
- Sunday 13 April
- Easter Weekend (19-21 April)
- Sunday 27 April
- May Bank Holiday (3-4 May)
- 10-11 May
- 31 May – 1 June
- Sunday 8 June
According to Chris Liptrot, operations director at Avanti West Coast, there will be “no direct trains to or from Glasgow and Edinburgh” on these dates, with a reduced timetable and rail replacement services in place.
Further Disruption Expected From 2026 Under Major Rail Project
This is not the only period of disruption facing passengers on the West Coast Main Line. From 2026, a Network Rail project known as “Trilink” will bring further long-term closures.
Unlike the current weekend disruptions, Trilink will involve the line being completely shut for two weeks at a time, allowing for major capacity upgrades aimed at increasing the number of passenger and freight trains and reducing journey times.
The first of these extended closures is expected to begin on 1 January 2026, with further disruptions planned over several years. While Network Rail has yet to confirm the full schedule, passengers on routes between London, northwest England, and southern Scotland should prepare for significant interruptions.
Travellers are advised to check with Avanti West Coast and Network Rail for the latest updates before planning journeys along the affected routes.
