Work continues on the 1.5 miles of rail track near Frodsham, known as the ‘Halton Curve’ next weekend, Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 February and Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 February.
Passengers travelling between Chester and Manchester are advised to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before they travel. Train services between Chester and Manchester will be diverted with rail replacement bus services running between Frodsham, Helsby and Runcorn East.
Network Rail will be renewing track, recovering old signals and commissioning new colour-light signals and associated signalling equipment in the Frodsham area. A new modern, signalling panel will be installed inside Frodsham signal box in place of the traditional mechanical levers which have been used to control the train movements on the Chester-Warrington line and Halton Curve since the 1900s.
A more modern, advanced system will mean more reliable train services for passengers for generations to come.
Vital upgrades to track will enable a new hourly service, in both directions, between Liverpool and Chester. The services, proposed to start running from December 2018, will generate 250,000 new trips, boosting the economy by £100m.
This Merseytravel scheme, due to cost a maximum £18.75m, is being funded through the Government’s Growth Deal and the Liverpool City Region. It is being developed by the Liverpool City Region (including Halton Council), Cheshire West and Cheshire Council, the Welsh Government and a consortium of the six county authorities in North Wales. It is part of the £340m investment in the Liverpool City Region and sits within Network Rail’s Great North Rail Project – a multi-billion pound investment plan to transform train travel across the North.
