LONDON — A wire service reports that a 40-mile (64 km) stretch of one of Britain’s busiest rail lines will be closed for four months next year for repairs and upgrades, the government said Thursday.
The poor state of the West Coast Main Line, which connects London with Manchester in northern England and Glasgow in Scotland, has long been a bane for commuters and train operators. Delays are frequent, and work to improve the track has been slow.
The government said a stretch of the line in northwestern England would be closed for 17 weeks next summer, with further closures expected the following year. Some trains will be diverted around the closed section, but in other cases passengers will have to take buses between stations.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said a long closure was cheaper and more efficient than a series of short breaks.
Once the track is upgraded, operator Virgin Trains said it will run high-speed “tilting trains” capable of traveling 125 mph (200 kph) on intercity routes.
Stewart Francis, chairman of the Rail Passengers Council, said he believed most passengers “would prefer the route closures to be short and sharp rather than drawn-out weekend shutdowns.
“Finally someone is getting a grip on this sprawling project — that is good news,” he added.