Extensive engineering works along the railway network will be taking place in August.

The service running from Kidsgrove to Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadily will be affected as will the one from Alsager to Crewe and towards Uttoxeter, Derby, Nottingham and Newark.

Northern Rail has now published a map showing which lines will be out of operation from August 2 to August 23.

(Image via Northern Rail)

Some of the key closures are:

• The stretch of West Coast Mainline between Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent will be out of action. This includes stations such as Congleton, Macclesfield, Poynton and Cheadle Hulme
• The Buxton Line will be closed from Manchester to Hazel Grove - however, it will be open from Hazel Grove to Buxton
• The Stafford line from Manchester via Heald Green will remain open
• Rail replacement between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe from August 17

Find more details on the Northern Rail website here.

What are the alternatives?

Transport for Greater Manchester has confirmed that buses will accept train tickets (Image - Nub News)

In most cases, rail replacement buses will be in operation, including both express and stopping services.

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Train tickets will be accepted on these selected bus and sometimes tram services across Greater Manchester and beyond.

In some cases, there may also be longer-distance diverted trains which will make use of alternative routes in and out of Manchester.

What are the engineering works?

A CGI impression of what the Greek Street bridge replacement process will look like (Image - Network Rail)

During the three-week closure in August, engineers from Network Rail will replace the Greek Street bridge, and will carry out a further £23m in upgrades along the West Coast Mainline.

The bridge has 'reached the end of its natural life'. The new one will provide a modern upgrade expected to last for the next 100 years.

Network Rail said that getting upgrades done in one fell swoop saves taxpayer money and is more efficient.

"The alternative is years of disruptive weekend or overnight working to deliver the same benefits for passengers and freight", a spokesperson said.

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There will also be other upgrades along the network include power line strengthening, platform work at Poynton station, track renewals, and more.

It's expected to improve journeys in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Staffordshire.

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