THE railway between Warrington Central and Liverpool will be closed this weekend as part of work to the line.

The £2.85m Great North Rail Project investment is seeing the South Lane railway bridge completely rebuilt between Sankey for Penketh and Widnes stations.

Network Rail says the essential work will secure the future of journeys for rail passengers between Manchester and Liverpool.

South Lane in Penketh to Widnes closed in early August and is shut for 13 weeks.

On Saturday and Sunday this week, a full closure of the railway line has been planned on Saturday 11 to Sunday 12 September.

William Brandon, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “The work on South Lane railway bridge as part of the Great North Rail Project will secure the future of the railway through Warrington for decades to come.

“As with any major project like this there will be some disruption for local people and I’d like to thank passengers, motorists and our neighbours for their patience while we carry out the work.”

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: "The work being carried out by Network Rail is vital and will provide our customers with an even more reliable railway.

“We will continue to work closely with our colleagues across the rail industry to minimise the impact on our customers and I’d like to thank them in advance for their patience and understanding while the work is completed.”

A bus replacement will run between Warrington Central and Liverpool this weekend.

Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk

Road users are currently diverted via Widnes Road (A562) and Watkinson Way (A557).