Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line closes for £25m signalling upgrade

Buses will be transporting rail passengers travelling between Shrewsbury and Crewe from today whilst a £25 million signalling upgrade takes place.

The replacement bus service will be operating in both directions whilst work, which is expected to last until Sunday 6th December, takes place.

The service will carry Arriva Trains Wales customers in both directions between Shrewsbury and Crewe, stopping at Yorton, Wem, Prees, Whitchurch, Wrenbury and Nantwich. Some direct rail services will be diverted to Crewe via Wrexham General.

Network Rail is modernising signalling equipment – the traffic lights of the railway – on the line between Shrewsbury and Crewe to give passengers a safer, more reliable, more punctual rail service.

Paul Danks, project manager for Network Rail, said: “The railway is vital to the region’s economic health, so it’s equally vital that we continue to invest to make services better for passengers. The work we’re carrying out as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan will see us replace old, outdated equipment to provide safer, more reliable train services for people in the region.

“This is essential work and I thank passengers in advance for their patience while it takes place.”

The scheme will see the signal box at Gresty Lane taken out of use with signalling control moved to Crewe’s central control centre. The new signalling equipment will connect with the modern signalling system already in use at Nantwich and Crewe.

Claire Lillie, spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “We are asking customers to check their journey plans, especially those who bought their tickets in advance as there have been some delays in adding the timetable amendments into the booking systems that were unfortunately beyond our control.

“The bus service will add extra time to the journey and we regret that dogs (except guide dogs), cycles, prams and large items of luggage cannot be carried on replacement bus services. We have recently re-launched our on-line Journey Check system to make it easier for customers to check their journey plans for any changes.”

The latest information is available from Arriva Trains Wales or National Rail Enquiries.