Network Rail warns of disruption to services in North and West Yorkshire over Christmas

Network Rail is carrying out major work to upgrade the track at Leeds station over Christmas which will affect passengers travelling from York, Malton and Selby.

Over the weekend, teams installed new overhead wires, made way for signalling cables and worked to build the new track crossover in the latest stage of a project to lift, replace and completely remodel the track between platforms 4 and 6. 

In the next phase of the project – between the early hours of Saturday 25 December 2021 and before the first train service on Tuesday 4 January 2022 – engineers will be lifting, replacing and adjusting the track, as well as replacing the ballast – stones which support it – to bring smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers.

Work will also take place to install new overhead wires and make improvements to platform 6 to make sure the overhead line equipment and the platform aligns with the new track.

Following this, new signalling equipment will be installed and tested, and work will be caried out to extend platform 7, to allow longer trains with more seats for passengers to use it.

As usual, there are no timetabled train services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day on this part of the railway.

Network Rail is taking the opportunity to make major progress on the project, which has been carefully planned to avoid disruption at busier times. Due to the complexity of the project, work will then continue until Monday 3 January 2022.

Additional work is being carried out on Sunday 7 November to upgrade the signalling between Leeds and Huddersfield, to make sure trains can continue running safely and reliably.

All of this work will bring more reliable services for passengers, allow more trains to run and reduce the impact of future unplanned disruption across the North.

To allow these improvements to take place safely, the following changes will be in place at Leeds station:

• Sunday 7 November: Buses will replace TransPennine Express services between Leeds and Huddersfield. There will be a direct service, an additional service which will run via Dewsbury, and a service which will call at all stations on the route. Northern will continue to run trains between Huddersfield and Leeds via Bradford, but services are expected to be busy. Trains will also connect passengers between Manchester Victoria and Leeds, via Bradford.

• 25 December – 26 December 2021: Major progress will be made when no trains are timetabled to run on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• 27 December 2021 – 01 January 2022: A reduced train service will run in and out of Leeds station. Some bus replacements will be in place.
• 02 January 2022: Very limited train services will run to and from Leeds. Bus replacements will be in place for passengers.
• 03 January 2022: A reduced train service will run in and out of Leeds station. Some bus replacements will be in place.

Passengers are advised to check their journey via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator and allow plenty of time.

Matt Rice, North and East Route Director for Network Rail, said: “With no trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, our teams will be working around-the-clock on the main stage of the project to remodel the track between platforms 4 and 6.

“This upgrade will bring more reliable services for passengers and reduce the impact of delays.

“This does mean there are some changes to services after Christmas, with buses in place to keep people moving.

“I want to thank passengers for their continued patience and ask anyone who plans to travel over the Christmas period to check their journey, plan ahead and allow plenty of time.”