Two weekends of journey changes between London Marylebone and Birmingham
Customers who travel on the Chiltern main line between London Marylebone and Birmingham are being warned of two consecutive weekends of journey changes which start this weekend.
Chiltern Railways services will be affected because of track improvement work taking place in the High Wycombe area.
Network Rail engineers will be working round-the-clock between 4-5 January and 11-12 January to improve and maintain the track to help keep the railway and journeys through the area safe and reliable.
While this essential work takes place, buses will replace trains between Gerrards Cross and Princes Risborough and between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Bicester North.
Neil Gaskin, programme director for Network Rail Central route, said: “I am sorry for the disruption caused while we complete this essential maintenance work in the High Wycombe area. It has been carefully planned and will help to make journeys more reliable in future.
“If you're planning to travel, please plan ahead and check your journey at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with Chiltern Railways for the latest journey information and travel advice.”
Michael Stewart, commercial and customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, said: “I would like to thank customers for their patience on the first two weekends of January as Network Rail will carry out engineering works which are crucial for the future safety and reliability of the railway.
“Journeys through the affected area will take longer and involve rail replacement buses so I urge customers to check journey planners ahead of travelling on both weekends.”
Customers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest journey information and travel advice.
Contact Information
Notes to editors
On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 January, the railway is closed between Gerrards Cross and Saunderton all day.
On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 January, the railway is closed between Gerrards Cross and Princes Risborough all day.
The following passenger advice has been supplied by Chiltern Railways however passengers are encouraged to check nationalrail.co.uk and with Chiltern Railways prior to their journey for the latest travel updates:
Rail replacement buses will operate as follows, connecting with trains at Gerrards Cross, Princes Risborough, Bicester Village, Bicester North and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.
- Gerrards Cross - Beaconsfield - High Wycombe - (Saunderton) - Princes Risborough.
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway - Bicester Village - Bicester North.
- Some late night buses will be extended to/from Banbury.
In connection with the above engineering works, an enhanced service of 2 trains per hour will operate between Marylebone and stations to Aylesbury Vale Parkway for most of the day.
IMPORTANT:
- Passengers travelling between Marylebone - Bicester Village/Bicester North and stations to Oxford/Birmingham should travel via Aylesbury Vale Parkway.
- Passengers travelling between Marylebone - stations to Haddenham & Thame Parkway should travel via Gerrards Cross.
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 38,000 people and delivering around 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 10 European countries.
- Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.