Travel · Rail, Channel & ferries · 6 November 2026
Leeds to York railway line reopens after nine-day closure
The railway line between Leeds and York has reopened on schedule following a nine-day engineering programme, Network Rail has confirmed. Works included installing a new bridge and overhead power lines at Church Fenton. Replacement bus services operated during the closure to maintain connectivity.
Network Rail has announced that the track between Leeds and York is back in service after a planned nine-day closure. The engineering works, which concluded on 1 November, involved significant infrastructure upgrades at Church Fenton. The project included the installation of a new Common Lane railway bridge and the fitting of new overhead power lines.
The replacement of the bridge, originally built in 1901, was carried out a year earlier than strictly necessary to reduce future disruption to passengers. Under the plans, engineers also completed track renewal and overhead line upgrades along the East Coast Main Line in North Yorkshire. Adam Sellers, TRU senior sponsor, stated: "We've completed this major work at Church Fenton safely and on time, bringing us a step closer to more frequent, faster, greener trains between York, Huddersfield, Leeds and Manchester."
Work continues to relocate utility services within the new bridge structure. The road associated with the bridge works is scheduled to reopen in June 2027. Carl Harland, TRU Customer Lead for Northern, thanked industry colleagues for keeping customers moving during the nine-day period. He added that the upgrades form an integral part of transforming the route between Leeds and York, helping better connect local communities.
Written by StreetOwl from Network Rail’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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