England v Croatia: Wembley rail works moved to avoid match

England are playing Croatia on 18 November in the UEFA Nations League

Plans to shut the railway line running into Wembley Stadium station on the day England play Croatia have been scrapped.

Network Rail had said work on the new HS2 line meant Chiltern Railway trains would not run between Gerrards Cross and Wembley on 18 November.

A spokesman said a change in plans meant fans would now be able to use the line to travel to and from the game.

The work has been rescheduled to take place in early 2019.

James Dean, chief operating officer for Network Rail's north-west London route, said: "We are sorry for any confusion caused by this change. As ever, along with our partners Chiltern Railways, we are trying to give train customers the best possible service in every set of circumstances."

The closure could have left thousands of fans from areas between Birmingham and London looking for alternative routes to the UEFA Nations League fixture.

• Wembley train line to shut on England v Croatia match day

Wembley Stadium station sits directly next to the ground and is used by many football fans travelling to and from the national stadium.

The stadium has limited parking spaces in order to encourage people to travel to Wembley using public transport.