Disruption warning ahead of five-day rail closure

Passengers have been warned to expect disruption to their journeys ahead of a planned rail closure.

Network Rail will carry out five days of railway upgrades between Worcester and Hereford from Monday.

Services will be disrupted until Friday 31, with rail replacement buses operating on affected sections of the route.

"We know there is never a good time to close the railway, so we're making the most of these five days to complete a wide range of essential improvements," said Adam Checkley, engineering director for Network Rail's Central route.

An amended West Midlands Railway (WMR) service will run between Birmingham and Worcester, with rail replacement buses connecting passengers travelling to Hereford and Great Malvern.

On Monday, a heavily reduced WMR service will operate between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Foregate Street. However, trains will continue to run between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Shrub Hill.

From Tuesday to Friday, Network Rail said there will be no direct WMR trains between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Foregate Street. Instead, an amended service will run between Birmingham New Street and Worcester Shrub Hill.

For Great Western Railway (GWR) passengers, services from London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street, Great Malvern and Hereford via Oxford will run between London Paddington and Worcester Shrub Hill only.

Some trains between London Paddington and Great Malvern will run between London Paddington and Worcester Foregate Street only, the operator said.

Normal services are expected to resume on 31 October.

The five-day programme will see 100 metres (328ft) of track renewed between Henwick and Newlands level crossing, as well as upgrades to the track at Ledbury.

Further maintenance will take place between Worcester Foregate Street and Ledbury.

Checkley added: "By carrying out this work together during the half-term break, our teams can renew and maintain important parts of the railway while helping to keep services safe and reliable for years to come.

"I'd like to thank passengers for their patience and urge anyone travelling between Worcester and Hereford to check their journey before travelling and allow extra time."

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