Network Rail has announced the closure of the Trent Valley line from 15 to 23 July as part of upgrades to the line.

The £8.5 million investment will see Network Rail engineers install 2km of new track, replace 3,300 railway sleepers and lay 2,500 tonnes of new track foundation stone, called ballast.

During this period work will also be undertaken to upgrade the railway signalling system in the Trent Valley area. In addition, engineers will also use the closure to safely remove Cross City line platform 3 at Lichfield Trent Valley station.

Works on HS2 will also take advantage of the lack of running trains to move a new 6,500-tonne concrete bridge into place.

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In the space created underneath, HS2 lines will then be built in the coming years and allow the new high-speed railway to pass beneath the West Coast main line in future.

Passengers will face some disruption due to the work with long-distance trains using alternative routes and replacement bus services being operated between stations on the Trent Valley line.

Commenting on the project, Dave Penney, Network Rail North West and Central region passenger director, said: "These major track and signalling improvements on the Trent Valley line will mean better, smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in future. However, complex upgrades like these mean we have no choice but to close sections of railway for old sections of track to be ripped up and replaced with new, and for new signalling equipment to be installed and tested.

"Given this work is over the summer holidays I'd urge anyone planning to travel between 15-23 July to please check National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys. I'd also like to thank passengers in advance for their patience."