Since last May and continuing through this summer, work has been carried out on the line between Manchester and Sheffield to remove several bottlenecks so that passenger trains along the line will be able to overtake slower freight trains.

The project is known as the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade, and starting this weekend and for the following four weekends there will be further line closures in place in connection with the upgrade.

During the weekends when the line is closed the following work will be carried out:

• at Dore & Totley station, a new platform with an accessible footbridge and lifts will be constructed;
• between Bamford and Hathersage, a new passing loop will be installed;
• at Hathersage West, a new footbridge will be lifted in to place to replace the current foot crossing;
• at a number of places along the line, signalling improvements will be made to improve reliability;
• station platforms will be extended to allow trains serving them to have more carriages.

To reduce the length of time a section of the line is closed, work will take place around the clock.

Once complete, this project will provide real benefits for passengers in the North of England, with improved train reliability and an upgraded network to help meet future demands.

Passengers intending to travel between 11pm on Friday and 5am on Monday on the following weekends should check with National Rail Enquiries before they travel:

• 11pm Friday,13th January to 5am Monday,16th January
• 11pm Friday,20th January to 5am Monday,23rd January
• 11pm Saturday,28th January to 5am Monday,30th January
• 11pm Saturday,4th February to 5am Monday,6th February
• 11pm Saturday,11th February to 5am Monday,13th February

Hannah Lomas, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail said: “This is an important period for the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade, as various major projects on the line continue at pace.

“I’d like to thank the communities of the Hope Valley for their patience and support as we continue to upgrade this important line, improving reliability, increasing line resilience, and removing historic bottlenecks allowing faster journeys.”