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Thursday 21 May 2026

LNER and Network Rail issue essential travel advice to football fans ahead of Wembley trip

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

LNER and Network Rail are issuing essential travel advice to Middlesbrough FC fans travelling to Wembley this weekend as major engineering work will affect train services.

Over the bank holiday weekend, engineering teams in North Yorkshire will be carrying out essential work including landslip mitigation, renewal of points (the sections of track enabling trains to switch between lines) and upgrades to drainage systems.

The work means that LNER services between Darlington and York are unable to operate, with limited rail replacement coaches connecting customers between the two stations.             

Engineering work of this scale is planned many months, if not years, in advance. While both organisations understand the impact it will have on customers, cancelling this work at short notice would cost millions of pounds, and result in additional engineering work being planned for busy summer weekends.

Despite the short notice of the fixture and engineering work creating additional challenge, colleagues across LNER and Network Rail are working hard to put practical mitigations in place for supporters and other customers travelling over the weekend. An additional train between York and London in both directions, alongside the advertised timetable, is planned to help fans travel to the match and assist in smoothing demand.

City of York Council and First Bus have also extended the opening hours of all six of its Park & Ride car park sites until midnight, giving customers additional options and extra flexibility after last bus departures, which will operate at their usual times.

Fans travelling to the game are urged to:

• Allow extra time as queues are anticipated for rail replacement services: A limited rail replacement service will be operating between Darlington and York. Multiple events taking place over the weekend means queueing systems will be in place at stations, with the potential for longer wait times.
• Plan ahead if travelling via alternative routes: Some fans may choose to travel from York. Vehicle parking is extremely limited at, and around, York station due to ongoing station improvement work. For those leaving their vehicles, fans are encouraged to use existing Park & Ride facilities in the city. P&R car parks will remain open until midnight but existing final bus times will remain the same. Any fans getting dropped off should find alternative locations away from the station as the area is expected to be busy.
• Map out their return journey: While there will be services from London King’s Cross towards York after the game, connections for destinations such as Darlington and Middlesbrough will be limited. Customers are asked to plan ahead and map out their journey home.
• Consider alternative methods of transport: With existing train services already very busy and a limited number of rail replacement coaches, it is likely that not all fans will be able to travel by rail.

Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for LNER and Network Rail, said:

“We appreciate this is a huge day for Middlesbrough fans and colleagues across the railway are working hard to keep as many customers as possible on the move over the weekend, including those from Teesside heading to Wembley.

“The engineering work between Darlington and York has been planned for many months and cancelling it at this late stage would cost more than £3m. It would also result in further disruption in the future with further weekend closures being required, resulting in more disruption for customers.

 “We are expecting rail services across the East Coast Main Line to be very busy over the weekend. We would urge customers to plan ahead and leave extra time for their journeys, and want to thank people in advance for their patience and understanding.”

Customers can stay up to date with the latest information by visiting the LNER Travel Alerts page or via National Rail Enquiries.