A MAJOR UK train station, used by 100,000 passengers every day is set to close for the entire Early May Bank Holiday.
Euston, the UK’s tenth busiest train station will be closed on Sunday May, 4th and Monday, May 5th, just weeks after it was closed for the entire Easter weekend.
GettyA major UK railway station will be closed over the Early May Bank Holiday[/caption]
GettyEuston was also closed over the Easter weekend[/caption]
Milton Keynes Central will also be shut on the same days, with no trains running between the stations.
Network Rail has said that the two popular stations are due to be closed to make way for embankment repairs, track renewal and drainage works.
Passengers planning on using the railway to travel over the bank holiday weekend have been urged to check whether their journey will be impacted by the work taking place.
If necessary, passengers should find alternative means of travel, such as coaches.
Network Rail said that the work is taking place on the bank holiday weekend, because railways are usually quieter at these times, especially on commuter lines.
Services to and from London Victoria will also be affected over the weekend, due to track renewals, re-signalling, maintenance, and structures work at Battersea.
Platforms 1-8 will be closed, and no Southeastern services will run to or from Victoria on Saturday 3rd or Sunday 4th of May.
Services will instead be diverted via London Bridge or Cannon Street.
The maintenance will also mean that the Gatwick Express will operate on a reduced timetable, as will Southern services to Brighton.
Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s director of system operations, said: “This May, thousands of workers will be out in force as we continue to invest in making Britain’s railway more reliable, with £133m worth of essential upgrades taking place across the two Bank Holiday weekends.
“While the vast majority of the network will remain open for business as usual, we’re encouraging passengers planning to use the railway to check their journeys in advance.
“When we close parts of the railway, we work hard to maximise that time—with over 630 vital pieces of work being carried out – and keep disruption to a minimum for passengers and freight customers.”
This follows major travel disruption over the Easter weekend, when the line between London Euston and Scotland was closed.
Your rights to compensation for train delays
YOU may be able to get compensation for train journeys that have been delayed or cancelled.
You’ll usually need to apply as you won’t get it automatically.
Train companies have adopted “delay repay”, a national scheme used to compensate you for unexpected delays.
Passengers are entitled to compensation for a delay of 15 minutes or more.
How much you get back depends on how long the delays are and the type of ticket you have.
Compensation ranges from 25% of the ticket price to 100%. You’ll get a full refund if your train was delayed by 120 minutes or longer.
It doesn’t matter which train company you are travelling with – the scheme is nationwide and all firms are part of it.
But how you claim the money back will be up to each train company and you’ll have to apply directly. You can usually do this online.
You’ll probably need a picture of your ticket and information about the train service you were on to claim.
You can find each train line and how to claim at: www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/find-a-train-company/
If your train is delayed or cancelled and you choose not to travel, you can get a refund on the ticket from where you bought it and there are no fees.
The closure took place so that Euston Station could be given a spruce-up and so that vital upgrades could be completed on the rail network.
However, this caused a headache for many passengers hoping to visit friends and family over the Easter break.
Amanda Webster-Uz, Network Rail’s head of Euston station operations, previously said: “There’s a significant amount of work happening over the Easter bank holiday to improve the reliability of the railway for both passengers and freight.
“Whilst the railway to Euston is closed, we’re also taking the opportunity to improve the station itself, which will include improving our signage and upgrading our toilet facilities for customers.
“We’re encouraging passengers to check their journeys in advance and, where possible, travel before or after the Easter weekend.”
The UK’s busiest train station, London Liverpool street, is also set for a renovation.
After ditching previous plans for a pool and rooftop garden, the new designs focus on step-free access, new lifts, escalators and facilities.
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