Building a better railway for North Wales

We’re investing more than £25 million to improve reliability, accessibility and resilience across the North Wales Coast railway during January 2027.

What work is taking place?

We’re carrying out a significant programme of investment across the North Wales Coast railway between Chester and Holyhead.

Our teams will be working across multiple sites during the closure to deliver track renewals, drainage improvements, accessibility upgrades and essential maintenance that will help create a more reliable and resilient railway for years to come

The programme includes:

  • Track renewals at key locations across the route.
  • Drainage improvements at Bodorgan Tunnel on Anglesey.
  • Track renewals on the historic Grade I listed Conwy Tubular Railway Bridge.
  • Track improvements at Holyhead, Penmaenbach and Llandudno.
  • Platform works at Llandudno Junction station.
  • Work on four level crossings.
  • Maintenance and vegetation management along the railway.
  • The installation of two fully accessible footbridges at Prestatyn and Abergele, creating a safer crossing over the railway

When is the work taking place?

To deliver this major investment as quickly and efficiently as possible, the North Wales Coast railway will be closed for four weeks from Saturday 9 January to Saturday 6 February 2027.

The closure will take place in two phases:

  • Weeks 1 – 3: Chester to Holyhead.
  • Week 4: Llandudno Junction to Holyhead

Rail replacement bus services will operate throughout the closure. Buses will also replace trains on the Conwy Valley line during the first three weeks.

How will this work affect me?

We know a closure of this scale will have an impact on passengers, communities, businesses and visitors.

While the railway is closed between Chester and Holyhead, replacement bus services will be in place to help keep people moving across North Wales.

To make travelling as easy as possible, we encourage passengers to check before they travel using National Rail Enquiries, Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast.

If you live near one of our work sites, you may notice an increase in engineering activity and noise while the work is taking place. We’ll work closely with local communities to minimise disruption wherever possible and keep residents updated throughout the programme.

For more information about working near the railway and what to expect, please visit our Living by the Railway pages.

Why is the work needed?

This is a major investment in the future of the North Wales Coast railway that will improve reliability and resilience for passengers and freight services as well as improve safety in the communities.

Many of the assets being renewed are approaching the end of their operational life. Some sections of track and infrastructure have not received significant renewal work since the 1970s and 1980s and require ongoing maintenance to remain operational.

By carrying out the work during one continuous closure, we can complete several years’ worth of improvements more safely, efficiently and quickly than undertaking multiple weekend or overnight closures over a longer period. This approach also reduces overall disruption and lowers project costs.

Once complete, the work will:

  • Improve railway reliability.
  • Enhance safety through new footbridges.
  • Create a more resilient railway for future generations.
  • Help support increased rail services across the region

Impact on roads during the closure

We know that closing the railway for four weeks will mean more people will be travelling by road across North Wales. We understand the additional pressure this can place on the local road network and the importance of keeping communities, businesses and visitors moving during the closure.

That’s why we’re working closely with the Welsh Government, local authorities, Transport for Wales and other key partners to coordinate our plans and minimise disruption wherever possible.

Project in numbers

  • More than £25 million invested in the North Wales Coast railway.
  • Four-week closure between 9 January and 6 February 2027.
  • 24 engineering trains supporting delivery of the work.
  • Two new accessible footbridges at Prestatyn and Abergele.
  • Around £1.4 million invested in vegetation and tree management at nine sites.

Get in touch

For more information or to get in touch with us, please contact us by visiting our contact us page or by calling our 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.