Passengers are being advised to plan ahead of the August bank holiday weekend. Major HS2 construction works are happening from Saturday, August 29 to Monday, August 31, 2026, affecting rail services between Birmingham New Street, Derby and Nuneaton.
HS2 engineers carry out work to install a section of the new Saltley Viaduct, which spans the railway between Birmingham and Water Orton. This means you should expect major changes to CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway.
Major HS2 works:
The existing viaduct is being demolished and rebuilt as part of the construction of the high-speed railway into Birmingham. The replacement structure will be two metres higher and wider than the existing viaduct, creating the space needed for HS2 to pass beneath it while also improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
“This August bank holiday, HS2 teams will carry out another important phase of work to replace Saltley Viaduct, a structure which spans one of the busiest railway corridors in the Midlands,” said Patrick Cawley, Director of On Network Works for Network Rail and HS2.
“The existing structure is being rebuilt to make way for Britain’s new high-speed railway into Birmingham. We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work takes place and encourage everyone travelling over the bank holiday weekend to check before they travel.”
Services affected include routes between:
- Birmingham New Street and Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport
- Cardiff Central and Nottingham via Birmingham New Street
- Birmingham New Street and destinations across the North East, Scotland and South West.
During the three-day bank holiday closure, some CrossCountry journeys will take longer, while rail replacement buses will operate between Birmingham New Street, Water Orton and Coleshill Parkway. You are advised to check before travelling and allow extra time to complete your journeys.
Mark Anderson, CrossCountry’s Customer & Commercial Director, said: “We’re sorry for this disruption to journeys over the August bank holiday weekend while this essential HS2 work takes place. We encourage customers to check their journey before travelling and allow extra time to complete their trip.”
To see how your journey is affected this August bank holiday weekend, check the National Rail website.
