The railway line between Milton Keynes and Northampton has reopened for train services after a closure over the Christmas period.

Network Rail announced the closure of the section of the West Coast Main Line between 24 December and 5 January, with particular focus taking place on the replacement of tracks at Hanslope Junction between Wolverton and Northampton stations.

The company that maintains the UK’s railway infrastructure said that the upgrade to all 4 railway lines on the West Coast Main Line along a mile-long section of track replaced to improve future journeys for passengers and freight operators.

Hundreds of workers replaced 130 track panels across the junction, which Network Rail described as, “Britain’s biggest Christmas jigsaw”, while work also saw them renew the foundation stone known as ballast below the track, and overhauled points, switches and crossings.

Services resumed over the line this morning (05/01), with Network Rail releasing footage on social media of the first train passing over the junction at around 4am this morning.

The £26m project was a major part of multiple upgrades carried out by Network Rail between London and Cumbria over the festive season.

Additional projects in the area took place at Milton Keynes Central and Wolverton stations and at Roade cutting.

A £3.66m project took place at Milton Keynes Central station to replace concrete planks and fix uneven surfaces around platform 4, improving safety and structural integrity.

Further investments of over £2m were made at Wolverton station to upgrade surfaces on platforms 3 and 4, as well as improving stepping distances between train and platform.  

An investment of almost £600,000 was also made to upgrade the track near Roade, including the installation of over 1,500 metres of new rail.  

Additional projects took place on the West Coast Main Line over Christmas further along the line, with work taking place in Staffordshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Some work on the line north of Preston remains ongoing, with the line between Preston and Carlisle closed until January 15th to enable a bridge replacement.

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail North West and Central region Capital Delivery director, said, “We are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to improve future journeys on the West Coast Main Line and these latest projects will make real differences to passenger and freight journeys.

“We would like to thank passengers for their patience during our work at Hanslope, Milton Keynes and Wolverton stations, and also across the wider network this festive season. With our major bridge renewal in Cumbria continuing until 15 January, we’d like to remind people to check before they travel while we make the railway fit for the future.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, added, “We are grateful for our passengers’ patience while Network Rail carried out these essential engineering works to futureproof our railway. We’re pleased the line has now reopened as planned and our normal timetable is now back in operation.”

Network Rail have also added that further follow up work will take place on Sunday 11 and 25 January to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, as well as some additional drainage work.

On those two Sundays there will be no trains between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby.

The management of the Cineworld Cinema in the XScape in Milton Keynes have temporarily closed the cinema, which some commenters have identified as due to a heating system failure.

The site was closed yesterday (04/01) due to what were cited as unforeseen circumstances, but a further update on social media today (05/01) confirmed the cinema was to remain closed until further notice.

In their initial update on Facebook yesterday, the cinema said, “Please be advised that due to unforeseen circumstances, the cinema will be closed today. Any affected bookings will be refunded automatically. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. We will post any updates on this page, once we are open again. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

The further update posted today read, “Unfortunately we are still closed for business today due to unforeseen circumstances, however we hope to open our doors again very soon. Any customers with bookings will be contacted via our customer service team regarding cancellations. We will update on our page once we’re reopen for screenings again. Thank you for your patience, we look forward to seeing you again soon.”

While the cinema maintained the reason as unforeseen circumstances, multiple commenters responding to the news said that the cinema was being closed due to a heating system issue at the facility.

Former MK Dons boss Paul Tisdale has left his role at Scottish side Celtic as part of a series of changes that included the removal of manager Wilfried Nancy.

Tisdale leaves his role as Celtic’s Head of Football Operations, which he had been first appointed to in October 2024.

The Glasgow-based club confirmed the news of Tisdale’s departure in a statement confirming the departure of boss Nancy, who left after a chaotic 33 days in charge in which he lost 6 out of his 8 games in charge. His sacking came 2 days after a 3-1 home defeat by Glasgow rivals Rangers in his last game in charge.

Celtic currently sit 2nd in the table, 6 points behind leaders Hearts and now level on points with Rangers, who’d begun the season with a brief tenure from former Dons boss Russell Martin.

Former Liverpool and Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers resigned in October, ending his second spell in charge at Celtic Park, with former boss Martin O’Neill briefly returning in an interim period before Nancy’s arrival in early December, while this season has also seen non-executive Chairman Peter Lawwell leave his position after sustained fan protests.

The Scottish side said, “Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy, with immediate effect. The Club thanks Wilfried for his efforts and wishes him and his family well for the future.

“Wilfried’s assistants, Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, will also be leaving the club and they take with them our good wishes.

“The Club can also confirm that Paul Tisdale has left his position as Head of Football Operations. We thank Paul for the contribution he has made in that role.

“A further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical.”

Tisdale previously managed MK Dons in 2018 and 2019. After 12 years in charge at Exeter City, Tisdale moved to Milton Keynes in June 2018 after failing to agree a new contract with the side from Devon.

He would win promotion from League Two at the end of the 2018/19 season, but Tisdale would struggle in League One the following season. A run of one point from nine games ended in his dismissal by the Dons in November 2019, with the announcement coming straight after a defeat at home by Tranmere Rovers.

Since leaving MK, Tisdale had short-lived stints with Bristol Rovers and Stevenage, while he also had roles as a consultant, including work with Premier League clubs to advise on their transfer operations.

Milton Keynes Theatre have announced details of the wide variety of productions theatre goers can expect in the spring 2026 season.

A wide litany of musicals, dramas, comedy and other performances can be expected in the upcoming months, which begins with the final shows of Milton Keynes Theatre’s yearly Christmas pantomime.

This year’s iteration sees iconic comedian, TV and musical theatre star Brian Conley returning to the city for Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in a new take filled with riotous comedy, extraordinary special effects, hair-raising stunts and international circus acts.

Fans of musicals have a lot to look forward to this season, with a feast of fantastic musical productions coming to Milton Keynes over the next few months.

The season kicks off with the hilarious FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, followed by TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, bringing iconic songs to the city as part of the show’s first-ever UK & Ireland tour. The iconic international West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy Legally Blonde is back in fashion with a huge new production starring Amber Davies (Strictly 2025), before Sunny Afternoon reminds audiences of the electrifying true story behind The Kinks, the band that changed rock music forever.

During March and April, Milton Keynes will host three of the hottest musical productions currently touring across the UK. First up, Here & Now – The Steps Musical packages the songs of multi-million-selling pop phenomenon, Steps, into a feel-good celebration of love and friendship. Following that, the epic musical Miss Saigon makes its long-awaited return to Milton Keynes, before Mean Girls brings iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and killer songs to the stage. How fetch!

As always, there’s a fantastic list of music-based one-night performances, including Northern Live – Do I Love You, Legend: The Music of Bob Marley, Go Your Own Way – The Fleetwood Mac Legacy, Lost In Music – One Night at the Disco, Bowie Experience, and The Best of Tubular Bells I, II & III.

Audiences looking for a dramatic trip to the theatre can look forward to the brilliant plays that will be coming to Milton Keynes over the next few months. Football and non-football fans alike will be brought to their feet by Dear England, which brings a new light to the story of Gareth Southgate’s revolutionary tenure as England manager.

Anyone interested in a whodunit will love Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, which marks the first-ever stage adaptation of the iconic detective.

Single White Female (based on the iconic 90’s psychological thriller) stars Kym Marsh & Lisa Faulkner, and Fawlty Towers – The Play brings the iconic TV show to the stage.

Families will love Horrible Histories – The Concert, which brings your favourite songs and actors from the BAFTA Award-winning CBBC TV series on stage for the very first time! For those who are looking for a more mature evening at the theatre, Nigel Havers and Emma Kenny will both be appearing on the Milton Keynes Theatre stage for one night only.

If you’re after some great comedy, check out the theatre’s list of one-night performances, including A-List comedians such as Sara Pascoe, Russell Howard, Bridget Christie, as well as the all-star casts of Austentatious and Dead Ringers.

Dance fans in Milton Keynes will be thrilled by the return of Matthew Bourne’s Production of The Red Shoes, which is an intoxicating drama which will dazzle your senses and break your heart. Following that, the UK’s most successful dance group, Diversity, return to the stage with their new show ‘SOUL’, which is a futuristic show that’s sure to thrill audiences.

As 2026 continues, the year promises even more fantastic productions, including the return of the Welsh National Opera, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Choir of Man, Operation Mincemeat, The Karate Kid The Musical, Annie, and many more.

Find out more and book your tickets at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes.