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Tuesday 11 Aug 2026

Major bank holiday investment in historical railway bridge

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: North & East

An £800,000 investment in Brotherton bridge near Knottingley will be carried out over the August bank holiday weekend, affecting some passenger journeys.

The bridge has carried trains across the River Aire since the mid-19^th century. Originally built as a tubular railway bridge during the Victorian era, its superstructure was replaced in 1903 with the steel bridge that continues to serve the railway today.

It is part of a larger viaduct complex with approach arches on either side of the river, making it a significant piece of railway engineering infrastructure.

Network Rail will renew the track support system across Brotherton Bridge by replacing ageing sections with modern fibre-reinforced components, enabling the continued safe use of this section of line. Repairs and repainting work will also be carried out on the bridge while scaffolding remains in place.

Also taking place over the bank holiday weekend will be the renewal of 1.4km of track at Sherburn in Elmet for smoother, more reliable journeys.

The package of work will affect some Northern and TransPennine Express journeys in the area from Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August, with buses replacing trains between Selby and York/Leeds/Micklefield, and between York and Moorthorpe*.

Karen Duffy, Network Rail operations director, said:

“Brotherton Bridge is a key piece of railway infrastructure, and these works will see the renewal of waybeams, which support the rails across structures like bridges, alongside essential repairs and repainting.

“Combining this work with track renewal at Sherburn in Elmet allows us to make the best use of the time the railway is closed and deliver improvements that will support smoother, more reliable journeys.

“We’re sorry to anyone whose journey will be affected and appreciate the understanding of passengers while the work is carried out.”

A spokesperson for Northern and TPE said:

“We’re working closely with Network Rail to keep customers moving while these upgrades take place. The work will help improve the reliability of the railway for passengers in the future.

“We thank customers for their patience and encourage anyone travelling over the bank holiday weekend to check before they travel and allow extra time for their journey.”