UK’s busiest railway line set for £400m upgrade – new details released | UK | News
Officials have unveiled the next stage of plans to improve Britain’s busiest railway. This revision is the first in more than 50 years. The West Coast Main Line runs from London Euston via the West Midlands to Glasgow and Edinburgh and into the north-west of England, carrying almost 2,000 passenger trains and 15,000 tonnes of goods every day, but “much of its infrastructure struggles to meet modern demand”.
Network Rail said passenger numbers are expected to double by 2050 and the latest work is “about ensuring the railway is fit for the future”. Over the coming years, experts will carry out hundreds of upgrades and renovations as part of the £400 million project.
Officials warned the work would take a long time but insisted it would result in better services. Julien Dehornoy, Network Rail’s deputy general manager for the north west and central region, said: “This is about securing the future of one of Britain’s most vital railway lines.
“Improvements will take time, but by investing now we are laying the foundations for a more reliable, resilient railway that communities and businesses can rely on for decades to come.
“Each project is carefully planned with train operator colleagues to keep passengers moving during vital works.
“We are committed to ensuring passengers know in advance of any changes to their usual journey so they can plan.”
List of upcoming upgrades
- Renewal of overhead line equipment, monitoring and signaling systems between Warrington and the Scottish Borders
- Track gets revamped as Manchester approaches Piccadilly
- Refurbishment of overhead line equipment via Birmingham New Street
- Renewal of line and overhead line equipment between Milton Keynes and London Euston
The 2025 House of Commons report stated that the average percentage of “on time” services across Great Britain in 2024 was 67.0%.
This compared to Avanti West Coast’s 40.6%, CrossCountry’s 47.3%, TransPennine Express’ 49.4%, West Midlands’ 63.3% and Northern Trains’ 58.2% ‘on time’.
“With the exception of TransPennine Express, all selected train operators using the West Coast Main Line were below the Great Britain average,” the document said.
“This is the start of a long-term program to make journeys along the vital rail corridor more reliable and resilient,” Network Rail said.
He added that the benefits of the project would “increase gradually”, with each improvement a step towards “fewer delays and smoother journeys”, “stronger connections between towns, cities and communities”, “a railway that can better cope with extreme weather and climate change”, “more goods moved by rail, reducing truck traffic and carbon emissions” and “more jobs and investment supporting local economies”.
