Sheffield rail: Passengers warned of disruption throughout April and May

Sheffield rail passengers are being warned of disruption due to weekend engineering works throughout the rest of April and May.

Network Rail, East Midlands Railway and Govia Thameslink Railway are encouraging travellers to check before setting off as work to upgrade the Midland Main Line continues.

On the weekend of Saturday and Sunday May 18-19 a reduced train service will operate between Sheffield, Nottingham and London St Pancras. There is also work overnight between Bedford and Luton on Sundays throughout April and May.

Passengers are encouraged to check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or through their train operator.

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The work will mean East Midlands Railway’s new fleet of 125mph bi-mode trains - which run on diesel or electricity - will offer “faster, quieter, and more reliable journeys” for passengers travelling between the East Midlands and London.

The government originally announced Midland Mainline electrification to Sheffield in 2013 but it was cancelled in 2017 to save money. It was revived in 2020 and the government has pledged to electrify the line to Sheffield by the ‘early 2030s’.

The government scrapped the northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Leeds in October. The prime minister said then the remaining £36bn earmarked for HS2 would be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, across the country.”

Gavin Crook, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “We always try to minimise disruption to passengers when carrying out work which is why we are working overnight to upgrade existing overhead line equipment, but some work needs an extended period to be completed.”