Passengers travelling between Preston to Blackpool South will be relieved to discover that the rail line has reopened.

An 11-week closure saw passengers having to find alternate means of transport, such as replacement buses, whilst the line was upgraded.

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The route was closed from Saturday 11 November as part of the multi-billion pound Great Northern Rail Project to upgrade the line.

Read more: Pedestrian in hospital after Ribbleton Avenue crash

However Network Rail reopened the Preston to Blackpool South line to passengers on Monday 29 January.

A total of 11km of track has been upgraded so far, with modern signalling equipment installed, improved platforms and overhead power lines enabling electric trains to run.

Trains running to Blackpool South are now controlled from Network Rail’s rail operating centre in Manchester which is helping reduce delays and keep trains running on time.

An hourly shuttle train service will run between Preston and Blackpool South calling at all intermediate stations.

The aim of the Great Northern Rail Project is to create an improved and bigger railway, helping  to carry the ever-increasing number of train passengers across the region, and provide more reliable train journeys by May 2018.

Read more: Preston Bus Station renovation – pictures show how work is progressing

Engineers have been carrying out a lot of work during overnight shifts when trains are not running, with some work taking place during 24 hours in some areas.

Work will continue on the rail line from Preston to Blackpool North, and passengers will have to wait until Sunday 25 March for it to reopen.

During this closure, replacement bus services will continue to provide alternative transport.

Have you been affected by the rail closures? What do you think about the Great Northern Rail Project? Let us know in the comments below