Train passengers and motorists will see their journeys disrupted over the festive period as work is carried out to update a railway line.
Network Rail plans work to the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and London from 25 December to 15 January.
The firm will replace a bridge over the M6 near Penrith, carry out signalling upgrades north of Carlisle and at Preston station and work on the Hanslope Junction near Milton Keynes.
It means sections of the line will be shut down, with trains diverted on to the Settle to Carlisle line and replacement buses drafted in. Closures are also planned on the M6 motorway to allow the Clifton Bridge replacement work to take place.
Network Rail said the work was part of a £400m investment on the line over the next four years.
Planned disruption includes:
The M6 work will see a new £60m new railway bridge installed at Clifton, near Penrith.
It will be 427ft (130 metres) long, weigh 4,200 tonnes and replace a 60-year-old structure.
Rosario Barcena, rail programme director at Skanska which is working on the project, said: “The bridge has been built on schedule and our preparatory work for the removal of the current structure and installation of the new one is nearing completion.”
Alongside the major projects, overhead line replacement and refurbishment of platforms will take place along the 309-mile (497km) route.
Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s capital delivery director for the North West and Central region, claimed the work would improve reliability across the region.
“We know that this work will cause some disruption for those travelling during the festive season so please plan your journeys as early as possible,” he said.
