Services Affected-1

Reminder: Hope Valley Upgrade works to affect EMR Regional and Intercity routes for nine days

  • Hope Valley Upgrade will affect EMR regional and intercity services for nine days from Saturday, March 16
  • Service between Sheffield and Manchester and between Sheffield / Derby and London St Pancras affected 
  • Rail replacement buses will operate between Sheffield and Stockport on regional route  
  • EMR's Sheffield / Derby – London St Pancras route will have an increased journey time by up to 20 minutes

East Midlands Railway (EMR) will be operating a reduced service across its regional route between Sheffield and Manchester later this month.

The works by Network Rail will take place between Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 24, on tracks near Dore and Totley station near the outskirts of Sheffield.

The Hope Valley Railway Upgrade is a major rail improvement project being carried out by Network Rail throughout 2024. The work will provide additional track capacity and eliminate bottleneck areas along the route between Manchester and Sheffield.

This increased capacity will allow passenger trains to overtake slower-moving freight and provide more options for EMR to keep customers moving should issues arise.

During this nine-day blockade, customers traveling on EMR's Liverpool Lime Street - Nottingham - Norwich route will be required to complete part of their journey using rail replacement buses between Sheffield and Stockport.

At Stockport, customers will connect with services from Northern Trains and TransPennine Express to continue their journey via Manchester.

Hope Valley Line Block main 1x1 (1)

Customers travelling on EMR's Sheffield / Derby – London St Pancras route will also be affected by a diversion, resulting in an increased journey time of up to 20 minutes.

Customers are recommended to check their full journey before travelling.

The Hope Valley Railway Upgrade will continue through 2024, with further engineering works scheduled. Services will also be adjusted to accommodate these works from Saturday, April 27, to Wednesday, May 1, and between Saturday, August, and Thursday, August 29.

Dave Meredith, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused while these vital improvements take place.

"We urge all customers to plan ahead and check their journey details before setting off. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as we work towards a better, more efficient railway network for everyone." - 

For more information about the works and changes to the services visit here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/hope-valley-upgrades 

Contact Information

East Midlands Railway Press Office

press.office@eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk