Network Rail is due to carry out the final stage of a £250 million upgrade project next month between Stafford and Crewe.

The Stafford Area Improvements Programme will remove one of the last major bottlenecks on the West Coast main line.

The works will be carried out between 30 April - 02 May and are part of Network Rail's £40 billion railway upgrade plan.

Lines between Stafford and Crewe will be partially closed for work from Saturday, 30 April to Saturday, 07 May and Saturday, 28 May to Tuesday, 31 May.

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The project is being delivered by the Staffordshire Alliance, a partnership of Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail.

Features include six miles of new railway, 11 new structures, 7.5 miles of new overhead lines,16 switches and crossings along with 70 new signal posts and gantries.

In addition, one million tonnes of earth have been moved on site and 4,000 workers are involved in the project.

Martin Frobisher, route director at Network Rail, said: "Building this new railway to improve services for passengers is part of our wider £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan, which will help meet the demands of an increasing number of passengers for many years to come. Our investment also helps the railway support economic growth, job creation and house building around Britain."

(LM)