Track upgrade in 175-year-old railway tunnel in Stoke-on-Trent

Almost a mile of track will be replaced through 175-year-old Meir railway tunnel

Rail services will be disrupted in part of Staffordshire next month while a £2m track upgrade project is carried out.

Almost a mile of track will be replaced through 175-year-old Meir railway tunnel to improve journeys and reliability, Network Rail said.

The track between Longton and Blythe Bridge has not had any major work since 1968 and an "essential upgrade" was required, they added.

The tunnel will close 5 to 12 March and replacement bus services will operate.

The buses will replace trains between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent, with a normal train service to resume on Monday 13 March.

Steve Hopkinson, East Midlands operations director for Network Rail, said: "This tunnel holds so much history and is a vital part of the railway in Staffordshire, and these upgrades will make sure that passengers can continue to travel through it reliably well into the future.

"To do the work safely, we inevitably need to close the tunnel so there will be some changes to services and I'm sorry if this impacts people's plans. Our best advice is to allow some extra time and to check your journey before setting off."