We’re all supposed to be avoiding rail travel anyway, but you should really avoid London Euston station in the evenings next week, and especially next Thursday.
That’s because of a major piece of work to replace some 2,000 metres of the 25,000v electricity cables that run above the railway tracks.
The replacement work is to avoid problems caused during extremely hot weather when the overhead wires can sag. The wires can then catch on passing trains and be torn down. When this happens, the line must be closed for repairs, trains can become stranded and passengers are disrupted.
Sagging lines are probably the main cause of problems on the train services out of Euston station.
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast Main Line South route director, said that “This overnight work will help stop sagging of the cables, reducing the risk of them coming down and making the West Coast mainline more reliable for tens of thousands of passengers travelling into Euston every day.”
The work on the approach to Euston will see the installation of 2,000 metres of new cable, renewal of essential overhead line equipment, and use of special on-track machines to ensure the new wires are at the correct tension.
The works take place at night, so Network Rail is recommending that people avoid Euston between 8pm and 8am between Monday and Thursday next week (1st-4th June) as there will be changes to the timetables, meaning more waiting around for a train is likely.
However, they say that on Thursday 4th June, passengers making journeys are advised to travel before 8pm, as some services will be starting from and terminating at Watford Junction after that.
Euston track work (c) Network Railext
Well another type of lockdown which up here in Carlisle has been on the go since last autumn North South East and west rail roads and sometimes air Blamed in weather upgrades power lines landslips accidents you name it Carlisle rail station became a coach stop or taxi rank from Scotland Couldnt plan to go anywhere for months or to go to a job interview Then Oh surprise Covid comes along Now being eased the lockdown back again re transport rail bus coach air .No difference to what its been for months Any journalists done a study??
How many hundreds of coaches are needed for a full train? A lockdown bonus result perhaps if the trains are as empty as we’ve been told: the only time that a rail-replacement bus service might be palpably palatable.
Macro-econonomically speaking, it’s all to the good in the long run. That of course is little consolation if it’s been badly handled
Good luck with your travels.