RAIL users are being warned of delays and changes to services as Network Rail carries out work.

Ten weekends of work will take place on the West Coast Mainline between April 4 and June 7, which is inclusive of improvements on May 2 and 3, May 9 and 10 and May 23-25.

The three May weekends above will impact journeys travelling south of Carlisle on the route, while the other seven weekends will impact journeys going north of Carlisle.

The improvements come as part of a £113m railway upgrade plan, that Network Rail says will make Britain's rail network more reliable for future journeys.

Changes to journeys are anticipated between Euston, the Midlands, North West and Scotland this Easter.

Passengers are advised to plan ahead if travelling between April 10 and April 13.

The works include a major junction being replaced at Euxton near Preston, track renewal work in Wolverhampton, and between Carstairs in Scotland and Carlisle in Cumbria, as well as upgrades to overhead lines, signals and points.

Tim Shoveller, managing director for Network Rail’s north west and central region, said: “There’s never a perfect time to close parts of the railway to make improvements, but bank holidays and weekends are the quietest times when the fewest people use the railway.

"We work closely with our industry colleagues to get as much work done as possible during the closures and minimise its impact on people’s journeys."

Sections of the line will be closed, with rail replacement buses running to keep people on the move. Where the line is open, trains will be running but customers will experience service changes and have longer journeys, with fewer seats.

Gus Dunster, executive director operations & safety for Avanti West Coast, said: “We know this will impact on customers’ travel plans, particularly over a Bank Holiday weekend.

"That’s why we have tried to give as much notice as possible.

"The best advice is to check before you travel and expect services to be busier than usual, with in some cases extended journey times.”

Parts of the West Coast main line will also be closed during these weekends, with rail replacement buses in operation.