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No trains will run on the main route between Leeds and York for nine days, Network Rail has said. The closure, between 24 October and 1 November, will allow the replacement of a railway bridge in Church Fenton. Direct rail replacement buses will be in operation as the quickest way to travel between the two cities during this time, a spokesperson said, along with local stopping bus services for stations in between.
A longer Northern service via Harrogate will also run as normal. Bridge inspections by Network Rail found the bridge, which dates back to 1900, would need to be replaced in 2027 as it neared the "end of its asset lifespan". Teams from the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) are carrying out the replacement a year earlier as the current structure is too low to accommodate the overhead line equipment needed to power electrified trains.
Adam Sellers, from TRU, 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." Trains between Darlington, York and Doncaster will also be replaced by buses from 24-25 October and from 31 October to 1 November while engineers carry out a programme of improvements on the East Coast Main Line.
According to Network Rail, track, drainage and overhead line equipment will be renewed to provide "smoother, more reliable" journeys.
Source: BBC
