Everton fans risk being left stranded in London following next month’s FA Cup semi-final clash.
Close to 32,000 Blues supporters will descend on Wembley for the 5.15pm encounter between Roberto Martinez’s side and the winner of the quarter-final replay between Manchester United and West Ham.
But Virgin Trains have confirmed that there will be no trains travelling to Liverpool following the end of the April 23 clash due to planned maintenance work by Network Rail.
Instead fans travelling to the game will be forced to either stay overnight in the capital or face a 167-mile drive back.
“The combination of the later kick-off time, the uncertainty of when the match will finish and Network Rail’s essential maintenance work on the West Coast Main Line that has been months in the planning means we are unfortunately unable to run any trains back to the North West on the Saturday evening,” said Gary Iddon, Virgin Trains General Manager.
“We know this is extremely disappointing news to the large number of fans expecting to head south on the train to cheer on their team but we would much rather everyone understands the position well in advance so that they can make their plans accordingly.
“Whilst there is never a good time to close the railway, we work closely with Network Rail to try and minimise the impact to our customers whilst this vital work takes place. The FA is also aware of the impact of the later kick-off time which severely restricts our ability to get the fans back home again that night.
“For those able to delay their return, we do have a number of services on the Sunday morning but these are expected to be busy so we would encourage anyone considering this option to book ahead.”