Transpennine Route Upgrade schedules three-stage replacement of Common Lane bridge at Church Fenton

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is scheduled to demolish the Common Lane railway bridge at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire this weekend, with a new structure to be installed over two further closures of the York to Leeds line by 1 November.

Network Rail said the existing bridge is life-expired and too low for the overhead line equipment needed to run electric trains between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester. The replacement is designed to carry the wires beneath it.

Adam Sellers, TRU senior sponsor, said: "The reconstruction also incorporates a renewal of the life-expired overall bridge structure, preventing the need for further disruption in future."

The build sequence

According to the TRU project page, the weekend of 10-11 October 2026 covers removal of the existing metal bridge deck and demolition of the brick arch section. The first section of the new bridge goes in on the weekend of 17-18 October, and a nine-day closure from 24 October to 1 November is for the main installation of the remaining new bridge beams.

Before demolition, utility services crossing the bridge were diverted one by one onto a temporary service bridge, the project page said. Once the new structure is in place, Network Rail said those services will be relocated within it before the road is restored.

The section of Common Lane over the railway is closed to traffic from 13 July 2026 to 4 June 2027, with vehicles diverted via Sherburn-in-Elmet to the south. Barkston Ash Parish Council, which published notice of the closure on 9 July 2026, said a temporary footbridge links Sandwath Lane to the existing station footbridge for pedestrians. The new bridge is scheduled to reopen to traffic and pedestrians on 5 June 2027.

Why now

The current overbridge dates from 1900-01, when the number of tracks through Church Fenton was doubled, according to the TRU project page. Network Rail inspections found it nearing the end of its asset life and needing replacement during 2027 in any case. Because the structure is also too low for electrification equipment, the replacement has been brought forward.

Network Rail said it is electrifying the railway between York and Leeds and on to Manchester, and that the number of tracks at Church Fenton is being increased from two to three as part of TRU. The Department for Transport said in March 2024 that £6.9bn had been committed to the programme to date.

Rail service changes

Buses replace trains between York and Leeds on 10-11 October and from 24 October to 1 November, Network Rail said. On 17-18 October, York to Leeds trains are diverted via Castleford.

During the full closures, replacement buses run direct between York and Leeds and between York and Selby, with a stopping service via Ulleskelf, Church Fenton, Sherburn-in-Elmet and Micklefield connecting with local trains to Leeds.

Carl Harland, TRU Customer Lead for Northern, said: "the works taking place at Church Fenton is a crucial next step in unlocking future benefits that the TRU programme will deliver between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester".

On the weekends of 24-25 October and 31 October-1 November, buses also replace trains between Darlington, York and Doncaster for separate East Coast Main Line work. Network Rail said track, drainage and overhead line equipment will be renewed at various North Yorkshire locations.

Earlier phases at Church Fenton

The bridge job follows a run of TRU work announced at the station. In October 2023, the programme said it would completely renew a 1.5km stretch of railway at Church Fenton in October and November that year, and install 3km of high-voltage cables alongside the railway between Leeds and Neville Hill to power future electrification east of Leeds.

For Christmas and New Year 2025-26, Network Rail said tracks at Church Fenton would be remodelled, platforms 3 and 4 re-aligned and a passing loop installed so fast trains could overtake slower ones. It said that phase would also replace signalling and telecoms along the route with 54 new signals and would use a total of 45 engineering trains.

Separately, Network Rail is proposing to replace three private crossings in the Church Fenton area, Rose Lane, Adamsons and Poulters, with a new access road from Common Lane joining the southern end of Rose Lane via a new highway bridge. Network Rail describes Rose Lane as one of the highest risk crossings on the Transpennine route. A public consultation ran from 31 January to 11 March 2022 and the scheme is being taken through a Transport and Works Act Order.

Network Rail owns and operates 20,000 miles of track and 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts. The new Common Lane bridge is due to reopen on 5 June 2027.