Thursday 29 Jan 2026
Track upgrades to affect train journeys in Sheffield area
- Region & Route:
- Eastern
- | Eastern: North & East
Network Rail is carrying out essential track renewals in Attercliffe next week to enhance the reliability of future journeys.
From Monday 2 February to Friday 6 February there will be a line closure between Sheffield and Meadowhall and a blockage at Woodburn Junction. During this period, passengers using Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE) or CrossCountry services should allow extra time for journeys, as some services may be diverted, busier than usual, or replaced with rail replacement buses.
The renewal project will refresh a 1.7km stretch of route – heading north east of Sheffield towards Rotherham and Doncaster – with new rail sleepers and ballast, replacing components installed in 1968. The work will provide the immediate benefit of smoother journeys. Longer term, it will avoid the need for a speed restriction or greater passenger disruption.
Mark O’Halloran, Route Engineer, Network Rail, said: “I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we deliver these track upgrades, delivering a more reliable and resilient railway. While we understand that changes to services can be disruptive, this work is vital to keep the network running safely and smoothly for years to come.”
A spokesperson on behalf of the train operating companies said: "We’re working closely with Network Rail to keep passengers moving while these essential track renewals take place. Services will be amended from 2-6 February, so we’re encouraging customers to check before they travel and allow extra time for their journeys.
"We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while Network Rail carries out these planned engineering works."
Passengers are urged to check details of their journeys before travelling via National Rail or with their train operators.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Changes to train services, 2-6 February
Northern: Northern trains travelling between York / Leeds / Doncaster / Adwick and Sheffield / Lincoln will not run.
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- York and Moorthorpe
- Meadowhall / Rotherham Central and Sheffield
- Sheffield and Lincoln
Northern tickets can be used on South Yorkshire Supertram services between Rotherham, Meadowhall and Sheffield.
Journeys between Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield and Nottingham / Lincoln
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Sheffield Interchange - Meadowhall
- Sheffield Interchange, Worksop, Retford - Lincoln
Trains will run to a revised timetable between:
- Leeds, Barnsley - Meadowhall (1 fast train and 1 stopping train)
- Sheffield, Chesterfield - Nottingham.
Journeys between Leeds and Sheffield via Moorthorpe
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Sheffield Interchange, Meadowhall - Rotherham Central
Trains will run to a revised timetable between:
- Rotherham Central - Leeds (stopping train only).
Journeys between Huddersfield, Barnsley, and Sheffield
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Sheffield Interchange - Meadowhall
Trains will run between:
- Huddersfield - Meadowhall.
Journeys between Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull, and Scarborough
Trains will run between Rotherham Central, Doncaster, Hull, Bridlington and Scarborough
Journeys between Sheffield and York via Pontefract Baghill
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Moorthorpe, Pontefract Baghill - York.
TransPennine Express: Hourly rail replacement buses will replace TPE trains between Sheffield and Doncaster.
Liverpool – Cleethorpes services will be split to start/terminate at Sheffield (Liverpool – Sheffield) and Doncaster (Doncaster – Cleethorpes).
CrossCountry: Trains will start/terminate at Sheffield from the South or start/terminate at Leeds from the North, with a limited number of services running between Derby and Leeds in both directions (not calling at Sheffield).
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Charlie Oven
Senior communications manager
Network Rail
charlie.oven@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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