Watford commuters are being urged to check before they travel as Network Rail prepares to upgrade the West Coast mainline.

There will be no direct service between London Euston and Watford over the weekends of February 14/15 and February 21/22.

Reduced services will also be in operation on Monday, February 16 and Monday, February 23 by Virgin Trains and London Midland.

The disruptions are to enable Network Rail to install overhead power equipment and new points on the West Coast mainline at Watford.

Jim Syddall, acting route managing director for Network Rail, said: “This is the latest phase of planned work in the Watford area which will provide a better railway for the millions of passengers who use the West Coast main line every year.

“There is never a good time to carry out this type of work and we have liaised closely with the train operators to plan for it to take place at a quieter time on the railway.

“The section of track at Watford is one of the most intensively used, high-speed pieces of railway in Britain and has seen tremendous growth in traffic and passengers over the last five years.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused but the work is essential to improve the network and maintain reliable services on the West Coast main line.”

It builds on work carried out over Christmas and the New Year in which new track and signalling was installed.

Service providers have urged commuters to check before travelling. Terry Oliver, London Midland's head of West Coast services, said: “My advice to passengers would be to consider taking an alternative route into London or postponing travel to another date if possible.

“London Midland will be running rail-replacement bus services on the affected Saturdays and Sundays, with extra staff at key locations to provide passenger assistance.

“There will be a significantly reduced train service in operation on the Mondays following the closures, so please plan ahead and check before you travel.”

Phil Bearpark, Virgin Trains’ executive director for operations and projects, added: “If it is possible for passengers to defer their travel until Tuesday, when normal services resume, we’d urge them to do that.

“If it is necessary to travel over that weekend, it’s really important to plan your journey and get advice from Virgin Trains to help you identify the best route.

“We have worked really hard with Network Rail over the last weeks to get the message out to customers about the disruption they will face over this weekend so they can plan appropriately.”

Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/february for more information.