Essential track upgrades to affect London train journeys in Sheffield area in January

Monday 30 Dec 2024

Essential track upgrades to affect London train journeys in Sheffield area in January

Region & Route:: Eastern; | Eastern: North & East

Network Rail is carrying out significant track improvements from Monday 6 to Friday 10 January to enhance the reliability of future journeys.

Passengers are urged to check before they travel as the vital upgrades will affect London trains and other services in the Sheffield area.

The track currently requires a large amount of maintenance because the rail dates to before 1976.

If this replacement work is not carried out, it would mean an indefinite speed restriction being imposed and journeys being affected over a much longer period.

The round-the-clock renewal project will refresh a 2.7km stretch of the route – heading south of Sheffield towards Chesterfield – with new rail, sleepers and ballast.

The work will provide the immediate benefit of smoother journeys and a reduction in noise disruption in the area. Longer term, it will avoid the need for a speed restriction or greater passenger disruption.

During this work, passengers using East Midlands Railway (EMR), Northern, or TransPennine Express (TPE) services should allow extra time for journeys, as some services may be diverted, busier than usual, or replaced with rail replacement buses.

The best way to find out if your journey may be affected is to check before you travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk or visit your train operator’s website for detailed information at:

Jason Hamilton, route director for Network Rail, said: “I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we deliver these vital track upgrades. This once-in-a-50-year intervention on a critical rail artery which sees hundreds of trains every day will bring better journeys across the North and to London.”

Philippa Cresswell, customer service director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused while these vital improvements take place between Monday 6 and Friday 10 January 2025.

“We urge all customers to plan ahead and check their journey details before setting off. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as we work towards a better, more efficient railway network for everyone.”

For more information on the changes to services, please visit: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/engineering-works/new-mills-central-sheffield-20250106.

Notes to Editors

Changes to train services, 6-10 January

East Midlands Railway: An amended timetable will run for EMR Intercity passengers for services to/from/via Sheffield, with many services not calling at Sheffield. Trains between Sheffield and London St Pancras International will run to an amended and reduced timetable, with journeys extended by up to 20 minutes.

Trains will call additionally at stations between Chesterfield and Stockport. A rail replacement bus service will run between Sheffield, Chesterfield and Derby.

Passengers travelling between Matlock and Nottingham will need to change at Derby for connections via the Newark Castle–Crewe service or via CrossCountry trains.

Northern: For customers travelling on Northern services, trains will only run between Manchester Piccadilly and New Mills Central. Replacement buses will run between:

New Mills Central and Chinley
Grindleford and Sheffield

You should use East Midlands Railway train services between Chinley and Grindleford.

TransPennine Express: TPE trains that usually run between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes will run between Doncaster and Cleethorpes only.

A heavily amended service will run between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield, alternating each hour between diverted trains and replacement bus service. Train services will also run between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road.

For travel between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport as well as between Sheffield and Doncaster should use other train operators.

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Gareth Dennison
Media relations manager, Eastern region
Network Rail
07561 874858
gareth.dennison@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

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