Passengers making essential journeys are being advised to check before travelling as railway engineers work to fix a track fault near Milton Keynes.

Rail operators confirmed yesterday (02/03) that a routine Network Rail inspection on Sunday 28 February found that a piece of rail at a railway junction near Wolverton was damaged.

As a consequence, the crossing that trains to switch between tracks has to be fixed, and it also means London Northwestern Railway services travelling northbound are unable to serve Wolverton station. 

To keep passengers moving, the operator has confirmed a rail replacement bus shuttle is operating between Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton and Northampton.

As crossings are complex sections of track, the work can only be done when trains are not running.

Passengers are being advised to use the rail replacement transport or to start their journeys from Milton Keynes while the repairs continue. It also means slightly longer journeys for passengers travelling northbound, with services being diverted via Milton Keynes.

James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said, “We’re sorry to passengers being impacted by the track fault at Wolverton. Crossings are heavily used pieces of track and are complex to repair.

“Teams of engineers are working on how to repair the problem, with the main fix needing to take place this coming weekend. In the meantime, I’d urge anyone travelling to check National Rail Enquiries or with London Northwestern Railway for the latest travel information.”

Lawrence Bowman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, added, “We thank our customers making essential journeys this week for their patience while Network Rail works to repair the damage to the railway.

“Passengers requiring northbound services from Wolverton are advised to consider travelling from Milton Keynes Central if possible, or to make use of rail replacement transport.”

The repairs to the railway crossing are expected to take until the end of this week.

Passengers making essential journeys are being advised to check www.nationalrail.co.uk.