Passengers are being warned of major disruption on the North Wales railway line next weekend as essential engineering work takes place between Chester and Llandudno Junction.

The railway will close in the early hours of Saturday, June 6 and reopen in the early hours of Monday, June 8, allowing Network Rail teams uninterrupted access to carry out maintenance and improvement work linked to the ongoing Network North Wales upgrade programme and the recent introduction of a new timetable.

A series of projects will be completed across the route during the closure.

In Pensarn, foundation and site preparation work will take place ahead of the installation of a new accessible footbridge.

Network Rail has previously described the nearby Pen Uchaf and Ty Gwyn level crossings at Pensarn as among the highest-risk crossings on the Wales and Borders network. The crossings are regularly used by families, dog walkers and holidaymakers, with reports of near misses and misuse recorded in recent years.

The new accessible footbridge forms part of wider plans to provide a safer route across the railway ahead of increased train services on the North Wales Coast line. Network Rail says closing or replacing level crossings is the most effective way to reduce the risk of accidents on the railway.

The bridge is also intended to improve accessibility for pedestrians, including people with reduced mobility, cyclists and families with pushchairs, while supporting future active travel links in the area.

At Flint, drainage improvements will be carried out to help reduce the risk of flooding and improve the long-term resilience of the railway.

Meanwhile, at Rhyl, sleeper replacements will be carried out on Saturday night to help maintain track quality and provide smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers.

No train services will run between Chester and Llandudno Junction during the closure, with replacement transport operating instead.

The work forms part of continued investment in the North Wales railway and is aimed at maintaining reliability following the recent timetable uplift, which has introduced 50 per cent more train services across the route.

The improvements will also support future accessibility upgrades and help keep the railway safe and resilient for passengers, staff and freight services.

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales, said: “We’re encouraging all passengers travelling between Llandudno Junction and Chester to check before they travel over the weekend.

“As no trains will run between these destinations, our Manchester Airport, Cardiff Central and Liverpool Lime Street services will start and terminate at Chester, while services from Holyhead will terminate at Llandudno Junction.

“We’ll be running rail replacement services between Llandudno Junction and Chester roughly every half an hour on the Saturday, and every hour on the Sunday. We’ll also have ticket acceptance in place with Arriva Bus.

“Please allow extra time for your journey and check before you travel using our website or app.”

Passengers are being urged to plan ahead and check journeys before travelling.