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Special rail services have taken place between Newcastle and Morpeth as plans to reintroduce passenger trains on the Northumberland Line gather pace.

• Work to reconstruct/strengthen railway bridges and upgrade track in central Manchester was completed by Network Rail this morning (16 August)
• Railway lines between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale and Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge have fully reopened following successful completion of the work with final finishing touches being made on Sunday 22 August, Sundays throughout September and the weekend of 2/3 October
• This forms part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which will bring faster, more reliable services to passengers travelling between Manchester and York, via Huddersfield and Leeds

• Saturday footfall figures at Leeds station have returned to pre-COVID levels following the lifting of restrictions
• This Saturday (14 August) the station is holding an event to celebrate the return of passengers with a DJ, free giveaways and a social media competition
• Passengers are advised to follow government guidance so that everyone can continue to travel with confidence

Network Rail has completed work to install a new, accessible footbridge over the railway on Ferryboat Lane between Old Denaby and Mexborough.

• Huddersfield-based railway colleague, Sheila Anderson, has made a life-saving intervention after Samaritans training with Network Rail
• With 43% of people in Yorkshire rating their small talk as ‘good’*, Samaritans are relaunching their Small Talk Saves Lives campaign
• The campaign aims to give the wider public the confidence to trust their instincts and, like Sheila, act if they see someone who needs help

• Work to reconstruct and strengthen railway bridges in central Manchester has started and will continue until Sunday 15 August
• Passengers travelling through Manchester Victoria are being urged to check their journeys at nationalrail.co.uk
• This work is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which will bring faster, more reliable services to passengers travelling between Manchester and York, via Huddersfield and Leeds

Plans are progressing for a new Tram Train stop and Park & Ride in Templeborough, Rotherham.

• Work begins on a £2.1million project to repair Aire Bridge in North Yorkshire.
• The upgrade will improve reliability along a vital freight line used by Drax Power Station during nine-day closure in August, with no impact on passenger services.
• Hirst Road level crossing, between Carlton and Hirst Courtney will be closed while the bridge is repaired.
• Track will also be renewed in Hensall, near Snaith to maximise the amount of work done in one closure.