Passengers on the West Coast Main Line travelling via Northampton, including services to and from London Euston, must plan travel carefully due to planned engineering work, industrial action, and warm weather between July 10 and 12, 2026.
On Sunday 12 July, Network Rail will close the railway between Milton Keynes Central and Rugby via Northampton until 7pm for vegetation management. Rail replacement buses will run between Milton Keynes Central and Northampton, and between Rugby and Northampton, extending journey times.
London Northwestern Railway will operate services only between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central and between Birmingham New Street and Rugby
on that Sunday. Some trains between London Euston and Birmingham New Street, as well as London Euston and Crewe, will be diverted and will not call at Northampton or Long Buckby during the closure.
Services on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 July will be significantly reduced due to industrial action by the TSSA union, with early service finishes on Friday and no trains departing before 7am on Saturday. Some routes will have no service on these days.
Passengers holding tickets for cancelled trains on July 10 or 11 may claim full refunds or use their tickets on alternative London Northwestern
Railway services on July 9 or 12. From 16:00 on 10 July, some rail tickets will be accepted on selected Avanti West Coast routes, but no acceptance is confirmed for 11 July.
Travelers to and from Wembley Stadium during the weekend are advised to allow additional journey time due to increased demand on trains, stations, and replacement buses amid warm weather predictions.
Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, stated, “Anyone travelling by rail over the coming days is encouraged to plan ahead and check before they travel. On Sunday, engineering work between Wolverton and Northampton means trains
won’t run between Milton Keynes Central and Rugby via Northampton until the evening, with replacement buses operating. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this essential work takes place.”
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, added, “We advise our customers to check before they travel this weekend due to the impact of industrial action and engineering work on our network. Some routes will have no service on Friday and Saturday, and rail replacement will operate on some routes on Sunday. Customers should plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys. We apologise for the
inconvenience caused.”
Network Rail manages Britain’s railway infrastructure, including 20,000 miles of track and 30,000 bridges, tunnels, and viaducts. The planned vegetation work supports signal visibility and safe sightlines to ensure reliable train operation during the summer growth season.
Industrial action by TSSA union members is causing service reductions on London Northwestern Railway for July 10 and 11, affecting timetables with some routes canceled or operating reduced services and early finishes.
Passengers should consult National Rail Enquiries or London Northwestern Railway sources for updated timetable information before travel.
