Manchester United and Everton fans face being stuck in London after FA Cup because of planned train closure

Network Rail have warned that there will be no trains back to Liverpool or Manchester on 23 April

(Getty)

Manchester United and Everton fans face being marooned in London after their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on 23 April.

Network Rail have warned fans that services to Liverpool and Manchester will stop at 9pm due to 'essential maintenance work' on the West Coast mainline.

Virgin Trains say the Football Association was made aware of the planned work before scheduling the game, which will kick-off at 5.15pm.

The late start means travelling fans face having to leave the stadium early if they are to make it back to Euston for that final train - a service that holds just 470 passengers - or paying out for an overnight stay in the capital and catching the first train on Sunday morning from 8.10am.

Even if the game needs extra-time and penalties to settle the tie it should finish at 8.30pm latest, although leaving Wembley Stadium is always a laborious process for supporters.

"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," Gary Iddon, general manager for Virgin Trains told the Manchester Evening News.

A Virgin train from London Euston (Getty)

"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."

A Network Rail spokesman added: "Improvement work on the railway is planned at least 18 months in advance, ahead of any scheduling of sporting events and knowing which teams will compete in them.

"Unfortunately on this occasion, with the FA Cup semi-finals being played at Wembley, and with the Football Association choosing a late kick off on the Saturday, it has resulted in Manchester United and Everton fans’ return travel being affected. Delaying the work to improve the line would mean further delays to more passengers at a later date."