Few things are less welcome to rail passengers than discovering that their train has been replaced by a bus.
For those travelling along the North Wales Coast, that will soon be a month-long reality, as Transport for Wales (TfW) is preparing a major replacement bus operation during a four-week railway closure in early 2027.
The disruption will allow Network Rail to deliver 25 million GBP of engineering work along the North Wales Coast, including track renewals and upgrades to some of the railway’s oldest infrastructure to improve the network’s long-term reliability.
TfW is preparing one of its largest ever rail replacement operations to maintain connections during the work. The main closure will run from Saturday 9 to Friday 29 January 2027, when no trains will operate between Chester and Holyhead or on the Conwy Valley line between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
From Saturday 30 January, trains will resume between Chester and Llandudno Junction, as well as on the Conwy Valley line. However, the railway between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead will remain closed until Friday 5 February.
TfW’s Approach to Rail Replacement Buses
In July 2026, TfW brought the coordination and management of replacement buses and coaches in-house, moving away from an arrangement that relied on an external intermediary to organise services. TfW now contracts directly with bus and coach operators. The change is intended to give the operator greater control over planning and coordination across its rail and bus networks.
The four-week North Wales closure will demonstrate whether its approach can also deliver a more coordinated experience for passengers.
To ensure efficiency during this closure, TfW plans to operate a combination of faster, limited-stop coaches and local buses serving all stations. Limited-stop services will run every 30 minutes between Chester and Holyhead, calling at Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction and Bangor. Alongside these, all-stations buses will operate every 30 minutes between Chester and Bangor, with an hourly service between Bangor and Holyhead.
This plan aims to give passengers a choice between a faster journey with fewer stops and a local service maintaining access to stations along the route. All replacement coaches will be accessible, and passengers requiring additional assistance are encouraged to book Passenger Assist in advance so that TfW can coordinate the necessary support.
TfW will also deploy bus coordinators and station teams at key interchange points across North Wales to help passengers navigate the replacement arrangements.
Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at TfW, said:Following the introduction of our brand-new trains and more frequent services along the North Wales Coast, this investment is another important step towards providing a more reliable and resilient railway.
Bringing rail replacement management in-house has allowed us to better coordinate our bus and rail operations.
We know some journeys will take a bit longer during the closure, so we’re asking customers to check before they travel, plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey.
Railway Upgrades
The 25 million GBP programme will see Network Rail undertake several years’ worth of engineering improvements within a concentrated period of access.
Work will include major track renewals and upgrades at the Conwy Tubular Railway Bridge, Bodorgan Tunnel, Penmaenbach, Holyhead and Llandudno. Some infrastructure will receive significant investment for the first time since the 1970s.
The programme will also deliver platform improvements at Llandudno Junction and two new active travel footbridges at Prestatyn and Pensarn.
The closure has been scheduled for January to limit the impact on tourism and local businesses.
Emma Osborn, Passenger Strategy Director at Network Rail, said:The North Wales Coast is a vital railway connecting communities across the region, and this £25 million programme will see our teams deliver several years’ worth of essential upgrades in just four weeks.
The closure gives us the access we need to carry out this work safely and efficiently, renewing key parts of the railway to make it more reliable and resilient for years to come.
We know there is never a good time to close the railway, and we’re grateful to passengers and communities for their patience while we carry out this vital work.
The disruption will extend beyond the North Wales Coast. Engineering work at Chester station will mean no rail services between Wrexham and Chester on three weekends in January. Manchester to Cardiff services will continue to operate as normal throughout the programme.
