PASSENGERS in Lichfield are being reminded to plan ahead when a key commuter route closes for seven days.
The Cross City Line will be shut between Birmingham and Lichfield from 28th July to 3rd August.
The route was originally due to be closed for work to install a HS2 viaduct near Birmingham, but that project will now take place at a later date. However, Network Rail says it will still shut the route to allow for maintenance and repairs, including to the A38 Tame Valley Viaduct which runs above it.
While the Cross City Line is closed, rail replacement buses will run between Birmignham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley.
Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said:
“Everything was done to plan this work to cause the least disruption to the fewest number of people, while completing the most amount of maintenance work as possible.
“There is never a good time for closures like this and I am sorry for the inconvenience, but school holidays and summer breaks means passenger numbers will be lower than normal.
“Passengers should check with West Midlands Railway and National Rail Enquiries for travel information, and I want to thank passengers in advance for their patience.”
Passengers can plan their journey and check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said:
“I’d like to thank our customers for their patience while the northern section of the Cross City Line is closed.
“We’ll be running replacement buses throughout the work to keep our customers moving and I’d urge passengers to check their travel before setting out and allow extra time for their journeys.”
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