Hope Valley Railway Upgrade Disrupts EMR Services for Nine Days

East Midlands Railway announces a nine-day disruption from March 16 due to the Hope Valley Upgrade project, affecting routes between Sheffield/Manchester and Sheffield/Derby/London St Pancras with alternative transport plans in place.

 

East Midlands Railway (EMR) customers are set to experience temporary service alterations for nine days, starting Saturday, March 16, due to the ongoing Hope Valley Railway Upgrade project by Network Rail. The essential upgrade work, focused on tracks near Dore and Totley station on the outskirts of Sheffield, aims to enhance capacity and reduce congestion along the vital Manchester-Sheffield route.

This strategic improvement project, scheduled throughout 2024, seeks to introduce additional track capacity and alleviate bottleneck sections, enabling faster overtaking of freight by passenger trains. The goal is to create a more reliable and efficient railway network, offering EMR the flexibility to maintain smooth customer transit during operational challenges.

The affected services include regional routes between Sheffield and Manchester and intercity routes between Sheffield/Derby and London St Pancras. To mitigate the impact, EMR will deploy rail replacement buses between Sheffield and Stockport for the Liverpool Lime Street - Nottingham - Norwich route, allowing passengers to connect with Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services for onward travel through Manchester.

Furthermore, the Sheffield/Derby – London St Pancras route will be subject to diversions, extending journey times by approximately 20 minutes. Passengers are advised to review their travel plans in advance to accommodate these temporary changes.

The Hope Valley Railway Upgrade is part of a series of planned engineering works extending into 2024, with additional service adjustments anticipated from April 27 to May 1 and between August and August 29 to facilitate the completion of this significant project.

Dave Meredith, EMR’s Customer Services Director, extended apologies for the inconvenience caused by the works and encouraged travelers to check journey details beforehand. He expressed gratitude for the public's patience and understanding as EMR and Network Rail strive towards delivering a more reliable and improved railway service.