rail

THE UK’s busiest train line is just hours away from being shut down as Network Rail looks to complete essential upgrades.

Commuters will not be able to use the route for six days starting tomorrow.

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) service between London Euston and Milton Keynes will be paused from April 3 to April 8.

The line closure is part of a £400million project by Network Rail to make upgrades to the line.

New tracks will be laid out in Willesden, north-west London, with Harrow and Wealdstone station getting repairs and upgrades.

A bridge in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire will also be receiving additional waterproofing to prevent further damage.

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More than £7million will be spent on signal upgrades to help reduce failures and improve the reliability of journeys.

Network Rail described WCML as “Britain’s economic backbone”, connecting major cities with “thousands of trains and tonnes of goods every day”.

It said that parts of the line could not manage the service’s more recent demands and needed investment to prevent disruptions.

The network owner said it would provide replacement buses between Milton Keynes Central and Bedford or Potters Bar for passengers to get trains to reach central London.

The WCML operator, Avanti, has warned commuters that its train lines are expected to be busy and has lifted peak restrictions for today.

Normal services on WCML are expected to resume on April 9.

THE North Norfolk Fryer is returning to the tracks this summer.

Onboard, passengers can enjoy chippy tea and ice cream dessert to make it feel like being at the seaside – but on a heritage steam train instead.

The Norfolk Fryer picks passengers up from Sheringham Station in Norfolk and embarks on a 90-minute return journey to Holt.

Onboard, guests will be served up local fish and chips – and to finish, a tub of Ronaldo’s ice cream.

There’s also a bar onboard for anyone wanting to enjoy a tipple.

The trains run from Sheringham to Holt and back with the return journey taking around 90 minutes.

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Diners will get to enjoy their chippy tea and countryside views in either the Gresley Buffet Car, which has been fully restored with a 1930s art deco interior or in one of the 1950s British Railways carriages.

A table for two in First Class starts from £87.50 while a table for two in regular seating is £79.50.

There are also options to sit in tables of three or four if you fancy gong as a group.

Seats are bound to go quickly and you’ll need to book in advance on their website.

The trains set off every Wednesday from April 1, 2026 at 6.30PM.

There are other experiences onboard too from sausage and mash dinners, to brunch, cream tea and even gin trains.

For even more fish and chips, fans of the seaside classic should head up to Whitby.

Here you’ll find Trenchers, which was awarded ‘Restaurant of the Year’ title at the National Fish and Chips Awards 2026.

The awards are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip industry and at this spot you can eat in or take away their seaside fish suppers.

You can opt for plaice with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce for £20.95.

Or try out the cod with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce in three sizes: small for £15.95; medium for £19.95 and large for £21.95.

Then for takeaway, you could grab cod and chips, haddock and chips or scampi and chips all for £13.50 each.

There’s a children’s menu too.

If you fancy a full on stay in Whitby – check out this hotel…

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Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

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A MAJOR £185 million rail project will see five new train stations open in the UK over the next few weeks.

The works will improve connections across the West Midlands, with some of the services reinstated for the first time in decades.

New stations will open at Willenhall and Darlaston in Walsall next week, on Thursday, March 19.

These sites, which are located on the Black Country line, were last visited by trains in 1965.

And on Tuesday, April 7, stations will open on the Camp Hill Line at Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road in south Birmingham.

This will mark the first time these services have been in place for the communities since World War II.

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These areas on the Camp Hill Line will see services run between Birmingham city centre and Kings Norton every 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Willenhall and Darlaston stations will be added to an hourly timetable for the Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street Station service via Wolverhampton.

West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) said it was working with partners to secure further regular services to the areas, with the project described as a “rail revolution”.

Each of the five stations features sheltered platforms, accessible lifts, ticket machines and cycle racks, while there are 300 parking spaces available at Darlaston and 33 at Willenhall.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the previous closures of the stations as a “short-sighted mistake”, describing the latest update as “a new lifeline for local people”.

WMRE is spear-heading the scheme alongside the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), in partnership with Network Rail, West Midlands Railway, Birmingham City Council, Walsall Council, and the Department for Transport.

Works have been partially funded by a £126 million government grant, with a further £30 million obtained for the completion of the Camp Hill line.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Thanks to government investment, fast and frequent rail services will arrive at new stations across Birmingham and the Black Country next month for the first time in decades, reducing congestion and improving local transport connections.”

TfWM said final authorisation for the openings is expected in the coming days from the Office of Rail and Road.