Halloween Rail Closures Hit Leeds, York and North East Routes
Major rail engineering work will disrupt journeys across Yorkshire and the North East on 31 October and 1 November, with replacement buses operating.
Passengers travelling across Yorkshire and the North East this Halloween weekend face major railway disruption, with replacement buses operating between several cities and some long-distance train services suspended entirely.
Engineering work on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November will affect journeys through Leeds, York, Doncaster and Darlington, alongside services connecting northern England with London and Scotland.
The closures involve several train operators, including Northern, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, LNER, Lumo and Grand Central, with passengers advised to check revised journey arrangements before travelling.
Leeds to York trains replaced by buses
The main railway between Leeds and York remains closed until Sunday 1 November as engineers continue replacing the Common Lane bridge near Church Fenton.
The work forms part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, a programme designed to improve reliability and prepare the railway for future electrification.
Direct replacement buses will operate between Leeds and York, while additional buses will serve intermediate stations.
Northern trains travelling towards York from Leeds will terminate at Micklefield, with replacement buses continuing towards York through Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton and Ulleskelf.
Services between Leeds and York via Harrogate will terminate at Poppleton, with replacement buses operating for the final section of the journey.
East Coast Main Line services affected
The disruption extends beyond Yorkshire as engineers carry out track improvements on the East Coast Main Line.
CrossCountry will operate direct replacement buses between Leeds and Darlington, while LNER passengers face replacement transport between Doncaster and Darlington and between Wakefield Westgate and York.
Grand Central will not operate services between London King’s Cross and Sunderland during the weekend.
Lumo services between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh are also suspended, although services will continue between Newcastle and Edinburgh or Glasgow Queen Street.
Northern passengers travelling between York and Hull or Bridlington will need to change to replacement buses at Selby, while services between York and Sheffield will be affected by replacement transport between York and Moorthorpe.
What passengers should know before travelling
Passengers should check their specific journey rather than assume that every train serving an affected route has been cancelled.
Some services will operate for part of their usual journey, while others will be diverted, replaced by buses or suspended.
Replacement buses may be particularly busy during the Halloween weekend, and passengers travelling with luggage, bicycles or accessibility requirements should check the arrangements for their intended service.
Northern advises passengers that some affected journeys may take approximately 45 minutes longer than usual.
The engineering work is scheduled to continue through Sunday 1 November, with services expected to resume once the planned work has been completed.
Passengers can check revised schedules and replacement transport information through National Rail and the Northern travel updates page.
The closures are planned engineering work rather than unexpected disruption, so passengers should use the amended timetables when arranging their journeys.
