PASSENGERS are urged to plan ahead of Lime Street station's closure due to a multi-million pound signalling upgrade.

As part of the Great North Rail Project, signalling controls will be transferred to Network Rail's state-of-the-art rail operating centre in Manchester.

The signalling upgrade will take place at Edge Hill station and because it is the gateway to Lime Street, trains cannot run on any lines in or out of the main transport hub between Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3.

Cllr Liam Robinson, transport portfolio holder at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “Works like these are vital in making sure services are more reliable and keep our city region moving.

"We were very grateful for the patience shown by rail users during the Lime Street upgrade last year and we would advise them again to plan ahead and follow the advice given when making journeys over this weekend.

“Working together with our partners at Network Rail and the rail operators, we’re making sure that the city region remains very much open for business during this short closure.”

The works form part of a £340m investment in railway upgrades across the Liverpool City Region by the end of 2019.

Rail passengers can still get to and from central Liverpool using rail replacement buses or by using the Merseyrail network via Liverpool South Parkway, adding around 10 to 15 minutes to journey times.

Jason Webb, director of customer information at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “This vital work will increase reliability and capacity, improving people’s journeys to and from Liverpool.

"Network Rail and rail companies are working together to minimise disruption as the improvement work is carried out and we ask passengers to check before they travel."

The upgrades at Edge Hill station, which first opened in 1830, will mean signallers can respond to disruption quickly and route trains faster to minimise delays.

It will also 'future-proof' the railway to allow more frequent and longer trains with more seats as the demand for rail travel rises.

Phil James, managing director of Network Rail’s North West route, said: “I know there is never a good time to close the railway but, for work as complex as this major signalling upgrade, unfortunately it is unavoidable.

“The Great North Rail Project work at Edge Hill follows on from the successful transfer of signalling control from several areas in the Liverpool City Region last year, as part of our Weaver Wavertree upgrades.

“We’ve worked closely with train operators to make sure passengers can get to where they need to be during Lime Street’s weekend closure.

"We’re urging people to check www.nationalrail.co.uk to plan their alternative journey on 2 and 3 November.”

Lime Street station was also upgraded to the same state-of-the-art signalling system during its £140m transformation between 2016 and 2018.

For more information about the station closures and travel plans visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/LCR