Network Rail has warned passengers heading south on the West Coast Mainline this summer to plan ahead and expect delays.

Maintenance work at Acton Grange, near Warrington, means the line will be closed in both directions for 16 days between July 20 and August 4.

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The work is part of the £27 million Great North Rail project and will see many services diverted to alternative routes to allow work to be carried out.

Train operators and Network Rail have agreed a plan to keep passengers moving throughout the work.

However passengers may have to change onto different trains or buses for sections of their journeys.

Passengers are being urged to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling, and allow extra time for journeys.

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Martin Frobisher, managing director for Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “The West Coast main line is Europe’s busiest mixed-use railway. It is the economic backbone of Britain.

“With more than 260 trains using this junction every day, it is vital to keep it in good condition. We need to replace it and upgrade it to ensure a reliable railway for passengers for many years to come.

“To deliver work of this scale and magnitude, we must close the junction for 16 days this summer. The alternative would be many weekends of disruption to passengers and much higher cost.

“We have worked closely with our train and freight operator colleagues to minimise the disruption and to keep as many trains moving as possible.”

Robert Nisbet, regional director for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the railway, said: “This vital engineering work is part of the rail industry’s plan to improve punctuality and make journeys better while keeping disruption to a minimum as much as we can.

“We encourage people who are planning to take the train during these weeks to check before they travel by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or speaking to their train operator.”

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This section of the West Coast main line helps connect Chester and Warrington to Manchester in the east and Wigan, Preston, the Lake District and Scotland to the West Midlands and London.

The vital upgrade this summer will bring the outdated track and equipment up to modern standards and further improve the reliability of the economically important West Coast main line.

For more information on the work and impact visit www.networkrail.co.uk/WCMLActonGrange