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Trespass, vandalism and cable crime caused more than 1,500 hours of delays – equivalent to 63 days – on the East Midlands route in 2025/26, new figures show.

• More than 1,300 trespass incidents were recorded across Network Rail’s Great Western route in 2025/26
• Combined, these incidents caused almost 130,000 minutes of delays, equivalent to around 90 days
• Rail industry and British Transport Police launch new campaign warning that railway crime has serious consequences

Network Rail East Coast and LNER are supporting a new rail industry campaign aiming to crack down on crimes committed by trespassers.

Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) teams have made strong progress with works in the Huddersfield area while the railway has been closed, with work continuing until Sunday 4 October. The new leadership of Kirklees Council were invited to see the work at Huddersfield station firsthand and discuss the benefits TRU is bringing to rail users and local communities.

• Improvement work takes place between Saturday 24 October and Sunday 1 November, affecting train services through Havant  
• The latest track and signalling improvements are part of two major projects to provide a more reliable railway for South Western Railway and Southern customers 
• Customers should plan their journeys carefully, as buses will replace trains in the Chichester, Guildford, Havant, Petersfield, Portsmouth and Southampton areas 

Trespassers on the railway in the North West cost the taxpayer nearly £6m in the last year, it has been revealed.

A level crossing which was closed over safety concerns after youngsters were spotted playing “chicken” with trains will reopen after a significant upgrade, Network Rail can confirm.

This once-in-a-generation programme will deliver years’ worth of improvements during a four-week railway closure in January 2027.