TRAIN passengers are set for major disruption next month as work on the £19 million Warrington West railway station takes place.

Liverpool Lime Street will face major closures from Saturday, until July 29, as part of a £340 million railway investment in the Liverpool City Region.

Although it will not be completely closed, it will include full and partial closure of lines into Lime Street.

No direct services are going to run between Warrington Bank Quay and Lime Street during the upgrade works.

But, from June 11 to July 13 between 6am and 8pm, it will be possible to use services between Bank Quay and Earlestown and connect to a direct service between Earlestown and Lime Street.

Throughout the work there is also the option to travel from Warrington Central and transfer onto Merseyrail services at Liverpool South Parkway.

But passengers in the town are set for major disruption on June 23 and June 24 when Network Rail closes the line all weekend to work on the new Warrington West station in Chapelford.

It will mean that there will only be bus services operating between Warrington Central and Liverpool.

Cllr Steve Parish (LAB – Chapelford and Old Hall), who worked for British Rail more than 40 years ago, said ‘major improvements often involved major disruption’.

He added: “We’re pleased that we’re finally getting the new station at Warrington West.

“A line closure for some work was inevitable but it’s unfortunate that it’s at a time when Lime Street is also closed.”

Since the introduction of the new timetable on May 20, many commuters have faced significant delays, cancellations and overcrowding.

Network Rail and Northern have since announced that they will be commissioning an independent report, as well as recommendations, into the ‘preparations and processes’ leading up to it.

The timetable change, the biggest in decades, is designed ‘to boost capacity with better trains and more services in the long term’.

David Brown, managing director of Northern, said: “We are doing everything we can to minimise cancellations and delays and keep our customers informed.

“It has been difficult for many of our customers and I am truly sorry for this.

“There is urgent work to do to fully understand what did and didn’t work on all aspects of planning and delivery of the new timetable.

“We are committed to working with Network Rail and Northern stakeholders to deliver the services our customers expect and deserve.”