Network Rail is investing £2 million to upgrade track through a 175-year-old tunnel.

This March, engineers will replace almost 1.6 kilometres of rail and supporting ballast and sleepers along both tracks through Meir railway tunnel to help more trains run on time between the two Staffordshire locations.

The tracks, which run between Longton and Blythe Bridge stations, haven’t had any major work since 1968 and this essential upgrade will allow passengers to continue to use this route reliably for the next 50 years.

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Steve Hopkinson, East Midlands Operations Director for Network Rail said: "This tunnel holds so much history and is a vital part of the railway in Staffordshire, and these upgrades will make sure that passengers can continue to travel through it reliably well into the future.

"To do the work safely, we inevitably need to close the tunnel so there will be some changes to services and I’m sorry if this impacts people’s plans. Our best advice is to allow some extra time and to check your journey before setting off."

To carry out the work safely, the tunnel will be closed between Sunday 5 and Sunday 12 March. During this time, buses will replace trains between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent, ready for a normal train service to resume on Monday 13 March.

Passengers should plan ahead and check before they travel with National Rail or East Midlands Railway.