Rail passengers travelling between Leeds and York will be kept on the move by train whilst major upgrade work takes place as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade.

Easter Sunday (9th April) will see a number of improvements made between Leeds and Neville Hill and thanks to the newly reinforced line through Castleford will be able to keep passengers travelling by train whilst the work is completed.

The work will see engineers install new overhead line equipment alongside two new pipelines under the track which will carry signalling cables safely. A number of surveys will also be completed on the ground and structures along the railway.

This important work will allow the future re-modelling of track layout in order to support the electrification of the line east of Leeds which will bring faster, quieter, greener and more frequent trains to this vital line which connects York, Leeds and Manchester.

Passengers travelling between Leeds and York on Easter Sunday will be able to travel using most trains between Leeds and York and also Leeds and Hull as they will continue to operate using the Castleford route alongside rail replacement buses which will serve local intermediate stations between Leeds and York and Leeds and Selby. Anyone planning to travel by train is advised to check ahead of making their journey using either National Rail Enquiries or via their train operator.

Major work has been carried out on the Castleford line over the past two years in order to make it more resilient including new track, improved signalling and a brand new entrance both in and out of Holbeck depot which has cleared congestion whilst growing capacity. The improvement work is now enabling the route to be used as a diversionary route, allowing passengers to travel by train whilst major work is carried out and will carry an extra two trains each hour.

Hannah Lomas, Industry Programme Director for Network Rail said:

“It’s great to see the years of improvement work on the Castleford line come into use, allowing us to complete these essential upgrades on Easter Sunday while also allowing passengers to continue travelling by train.

“The new and improved route will act as a vital diversion now and into the future as we deliver faster, cleaner, more frequent journeys for passengers travelling between York, Leeds and Manchester.”

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said:

“The work taking place this Easter is vital to the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme and will lead to a number of service alterations. We will do all we can to keep customers on the move, and the plan is to divert our trains via the upgraded Castleford route.

“Customers are advised to allow additional time to travel and to check carefully for the latest travel advice on our website: www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/changes-to-train-times; updates will also be available on our social media channels. Additional staff will also be on hand at key stations to help make customer’s journeys as smooth as possible.”