Media centre

Monday 28 Nov 2022

Network Rail announces key upgrades at York railway station this Christmas

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

Teams from Network Rail will work round the clock this festive period to deliver vital track improvements in and around York railway station.

The work will take place from Christmas Eve until Monday 2 January and is a £6million investment. The upgrade will see 2.7km of track renewed, as well as nine sets of points – the specialist piece of equipment which allows trains to move from one section of track to another.

Work will also take place to renew signalling equipment, as well as to improve specialist heaters on the track, which help melt snow and ice, keeping trains running reliably in the winter.

The work is taking place at the same time to minimise disruption for passengers, but anybody planning to travel over the Christmas period is being strongly advised to check before they travel. Planned industrial action will have a sustained impact on train services, alongside any disruption from engineering work.

Once complete, passengers will benefit from a more modern and reliable railway, with smoother journeys and reduced likelihood of delays. 

With changes to services over Christmas, passengers are urged to plan ahead via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator. Some bus replacement services will be in place, as well as diversion routes, with journeys expected to take longer than usual.

Marygate car park will remain open as usual while this work takes place.

Sam MacDougall, Operations Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route said: “Our teams will be out working hard this Christmas to provide an improved railway for passengers.

“The work at York is crucial to keep trains running reliably and smoothly for years to come. Our engineering work and the impact of planned industrial action will mean changes to some services, so passengers are urged to plan ahead and check before travelling.”

A spokesperson on behalf of train operators on the route said: “These key upgrades at York will mean changes to services over the festive period and passengers should check their journey before travelling via National Rail Enquires or their train operator.

“We are working hard to keep people moving this Christmas, with rail replacement services and diversion routes, but this means your journey will take longer and may be busier than usual.”

Visit Network Rail’s dedicated webpage for more information on the upgrade.

Across the country, Network Rail is investing in a better, more reliable railway with over 560 projects taking place, including:

• Major work between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade
• Manchester Piccadilly’s busiest platforms to get £5.1m festive upgrade (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk)

ENDS