East Coast Main Line Work to Disrupt Service Over Two Weekends

Major improvements on the East Coast Main Line will affect passenger service over two weekends in October and November, National Rail announced.

Buses will replace trains between Doncaster or Leeds and Darlington on Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1 while engineers carry out work at several locations in North Yorkshire.

The projects include renewing and replacing points at Tollerton North, Colton Junction and Northallerton, along with nearly 2.6 kilometers of track renewals between York, Colton Junction, Holgate Junction and Skelton Junction. Crews will replace rails, sleepers and ballast to improve reliability and provide smoother journeys.

Engineers will also renew about 300 meters of drainage near Chapman’s Bridge, near Shipton, upgrade overhead line equipment between York and Colton Junction and across York station platforms, manage vegetation between Tollerton and Thirsk, and complete surface work on platform 2 at York station.

The improvements are intended to increase the resilience and reliability of passenger and freight services on the East Coast Main Line.

Separate work associated with the Transpennine Route Upgrade will affect service between York and Leeds from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1. Crews will install a new road bridge over the railway at Church Fenton and overhead line equipment to support future electric train service.

No trains will operate between York and Leeds during the nine-day period. Replacement buses will run between York and Leeds, with additional buses serving stations between York and Micklefield and connecting with trains between Leeds, Selby and Hull.