Over the next two weekends, the Transpennine Route Upgrade will be carrying out major improvements to the power supply between Leeds and Neville Hill and to the track at Church Fenton – and the recently-reinforced line through Castleford will help us keep passengers moving while we carry out this work.
Our teams will install 3 kilometres of high voltage cables through the deep Marsh Lane Cutting between Leeds and Neville Hill. These will provide the power for the future electrification of the line east of Leeds. Meanwhile, at Church Fenton engineers will completely renew 1.5 kilometres of railway track, including the ballast stones and sleepers that the tracks sit on, as well as replacing the rails themselves.
These upgrades between Leeds and York are a significant step forward for the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme, bringing us one stage closer to faster, greener and more reliable journeys across the North of England.
We’ve worked closely with train operators on the route, Northern and TransPennine Express, to make sure that passengers can keep their plans on track while this work takes place. Trains between Leeds and York and Leeds and Hull can continue to run via the Castleford route while the main line is closed, ensuring people can get to and from where they want to go. Over the last two years, the Castleford line has undergone major work to make it more resilient, with new track, improved signalling and a new entrance in and out of Holbeck depot to remove congestion and increase capacity. The improvements will be put to good use with the line being used as a vital diversion route, carrying an additional two trains per hour.
On Saturdays 28th October and 4th November, direct trains between Leeds and York will be diverted, whilst stopping services will run between Leeds and Selby instead, with replacement buses running between Micklefield and York.
On Sundays 29th October and 5th November, trains between Leeds and York and Leeds, Selby and Hull will be diverted, with replacement buses serving all stations between Leeds and York and Leeds and Selby.
People planning to catch the train are being advised to check before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator for the latest updates. Additional staff will also be on hand at key stations to help make customers journeys as smooth as possible.
The Transpennine Route Upgrade is an ambitious and exciting project, which will truly transform train journeys in the north of England. We’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress, but if you would like more information or would like to discuss how the Upgrade will affect your area, please contact us at TranspennineEngagement@networkrail.co.uk and our team will help set up a meeting to discuss our plans and how they will benefit residents, passengers and business in your area.