Nine-day train disruption planned as buses to replace services between Leeds and York
The nine-day line closure follows two recent weekends of work
Rail passengers travelling between Leeds and York are being warned ahead of nine-days of disruption.
From Saturday, October 24 until Sunday, November 1, no trains will run on the mainline between Leeds and York as Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) teams undertake major improvement works in the Church Fenton area.
Direct rail replacement buses will be in operation between the two cities, as well as local stopping bus services for stations in between.
The nine-day line closure follows two recent weekends of work to remove the life-expired Common Lane railway bridge in Church Fenton, and will allow TRU to install the new structure over the railway.
Adam Sellers, TRU senior sponsor, said: “We’re now in the final phase of installing the new Common Lane bridge following two successful weekends of work in Church Fenton.
“This nine-day closure allows our teams to carry out the reconstruction safely, and will take us a step closer to electrifying this section of the route.
“I’d like to thank both customers and our local communities for their patience during this essential work which will help us deliver greener, quieter, electrified journeys across the North.”
Dating from 1900-1901, bridge inspections by Network Rail suggested that Common Lane bridge would need replacing in 2027 as it neared the end of its asset lifespan.
TRU is carrying out the replacement a year earlier, as the current structure is too low to accommodate the overhead line equipment needed to power greener, electrified trains across the North.
Customers are warned that during this nine-day period, trains between Darlington, York and Doncaster will also be replaced by buses while engineers carry out a major programme of improvements on the East Coast Main Line.
Track, drainage and overhead line equipment will be renewed across various North Yorkshire locations to provide smoother, more reliable journeys.