Harrogate and Knaresborough rail passengers set to face disruption to services if travelling to York over Christmas

The work will take place at York railway station from Christmas Eve until January 2 in a £6 million investment which 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 means that passengers from Harrogate and Knaresborough will have to change at Poppleton and board a rail replacement bus to get to York.

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

Passengers who are planning to travel over the Christmas period are being strongly advised to check before they travel.

There will be some bus replacement services put in place, as well as diversion routes, with journeys expected to take longer than usual.

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.”

The RMT has also announced strike action across eight dates (13, 14, 16 and 17 December and 3, 4, 6 and 7 January), which is likely to cause significant disruption.

For more information, visit https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/