Since last week, services on some of the Britain's busiest rail routes have been suspended due to construction work. The interruption is expected to continue into Friday. Affected stations include London's Liverpool Street, the end-station for trains originating at Stansted Airport, as well as Rugby on the West Coast Main Line, which operates in northwestern England and Scotland.
Virgin Trains, which offers service in Rugby, said Network Rail, the owner and operator of Britain's rail infrastructure, has not yet said when the Rugby station will reopen. Until then, Virgin Trains is advising passengers to take the following alternative routes in and out of London: For Coventry, use CrossCountry/Chiltern Railways via Leamington at Marylebone; to Birmingham, use Chiltern Railways from Marylebone; to Nuneaton, ride CrossCountry/East Midlands trains via Leicester from St. Pancras; from Rugby, drive to Kettering then take East Midlands trains to St. Pancras; to northwest England, travel on Trans Pennine Express/East Midlands Trains via Sheffield from St. Pancras; for North Wales, take Virgin Trains/CrossCountry/Chiltern Railways via Birmingham at Marylebone; and to Scotland, go on National Express East Coast from Kings Cross.
Most Virgin Trains tickets will be accepted on these routes, including open returns/single, savers and season tickets, the rail service said, adding that value advance tickets will not be valid on other companies' trains, with the exception of East Midlands Train service. Virgin Trains customers who decide not to travel can obtain a refund from where the ticket was purchased. Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk. (JM)