No trains between York and Leeds from 24 October to 1 November, and none south of York on either weekend. The buses, the stops and what still runs.
There will be no trains between York and Leeds for nine days over half-term. From Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, buses replace them while a new road bridge goes in over the line at Church Fenton (Network Rail, 25 September 2026).
The two weekends at either end are worse. On 24 and 25 October and again on 31 October and 1 November, no trains run between Doncaster, Leeds or Selby and York, or north from York to Northallerton. Getting to London, Leeds or Newcastle by rail means a coach for part of the trip.
The only line out of York that runs normally on both weekends is the one to Scarborough.
Why the line is shut
Network Rail is doing two jobs at once. On the East Coast Main Line around York, its list of work across the two weekends includes:
- almost 2.6km of new track between York, Colton Junction, Holgate Junction and Skelton Junction
- new points at Tollerton North, Colton Junction and Northallerton
- 300 metres of new drainage at Chapman’s Bridge, near Shipton
- overhead line upgrades between York and Colton Junction and across the York station platforms
- surface works on platform 2 at York station
- vegetation clearance between Tollerton and Thirsk
Separately, the Transpennine Route Upgrade is installing the Church Fenton road bridge and overhead wires for electric trains. That is the nine-day York to Leeds closure, weekdays included.
“We know these works will mean some journeys take longer than usual or involve a rail replacement bus,” said Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER.
The two weekends: 24 to 25 October and 31 October to 1 November
National Rail’s notices for both weekends say no trains will run between Doncaster, Leeds or Selby and York or Northallerton (24 to 25 October; 31 October to 1 November). Operator by operator:
| Operator | What happens at York |
|---|---|
| LNER | Coaches from York to Wakefield Westgate for the south, and to Darlington for the north. Trains run King’s Cross to Doncaster |
| Lumo | No trains to or from London |
| Grand Central | No trains between King’s Cross and Sunderland |
| CrossCountry | Buses run non-stop between Leeds and Darlington |
| Northern | Buses from York to Moorthorpe, Micklefield, Selby and Poppleton |
| TransPennine Express | Buses between Leeds and York. York to Scarborough trains run as normal |
LNER’s advice is to take its coach from York to Wakefield Westgate for journeys south and from York to Darlington for journeys north. Network Rail says trains between King’s Cross and Doncaster run two an hour, with longer journey times.
On the 31 October weekend, the CrossCountry notice says its tickets are accepted on other operators’ buses between York and Leeds or Darlington at no extra cost.
The weekdays: 26 to 30 October
The York to Leeds line stays shut through half-term week. National Rail’s notice for Monday 26 to Friday 30 October lists these changes (National Rail):
- Northern: buses run from York to Selby, Micklefield and Moorthorpe. Trains from Hull and Bridlington divert via Selby and skip Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton and Ulleskelf. Blackpool trains stop at Leeds or Micklefield.
- TransPennine Express: buses replace trains between Wakefield Kirkgate and York.
- CrossCountry: the notice says a reduced service runs between Leeds and York, while Plymouth to Edinburgh trains divert via Doncaster and skip Leeds.
Network Rail’s release says there will be no trains at all between York and Leeds for the nine days. The CrossCountry line in the midweek notice is the one exception we found. Check the journey planner on the day before you rely on it.
LNER’s own early and late trains also change from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October (National Rail):
- Monday: the 04:40 York to King’s Cross starts from Doncaster. Take the next train instead.
- Monday to Thursday: the 18:18 Aberdeen to Doncaster ends at York, with a bus on to Doncaster.
- Tuesday to Friday: the 05:20 Doncaster to Edinburgh starts from York.
Before that: this weekend
The disruption starts early. On Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, buses replace Northern’s York to Leeds stopping trains (National Rail).
On Sunday 18 October, LNER trains to London divert between Doncaster and Peterborough for work near Newark and Grantham. Network Rail says journeys take about 60 minutes longer, with an hourly service between Scotland and King’s Cross (Network Rail, 9 October 2026). It is also marathon day, with roads shut across the city. The details are on our marathon road closures page.
Where the buses go from
On both weekends and through the week, the notices give the same stops:
- Buses from York leave from Leeman Road, Memorial Gardens.
- Buses to York arrive at Stop RD, Station Road.
Network Rail asks passengers on replacement services to bring only luggage they can carry comfortably, and to allow for the change between train and coach.
What it means for you
- Commuting to Leeds, 26 to 30 October: plan on a bus from Leeman Road. Allow extra time for the road journey.
- London on either weekend: expect a coach to Wakefield Westgate and a train from there. Travelling on the Friday or the Monday avoids the coach.
- Visitors coming for half-term and Ghost Week: the same applies in reverse. Our half-term guide and Halloween in York page have what is on.
- Scarborough and the coast: unaffected on both weekends.
- Driving instead? The A64 west of Askham Bar has night closures on 19 and 20 October; our roadworks page has every closure.
- Station parking: the long-stay car park is still closed. See our York to London trains page.
Check your exact train on the National Rail journey planner before you travel, because times on replacement services can change.
Sources
- Network Rail: Two weekends of major East Coast Main Line improvements in North Yorkshire, 25 September 2026
- Network Rail: Changes to journeys as Network Rail delivers East Coast Main Line improvements, 9 October 2026
- National Rail engineering notices: 24 to 25 October, 26 to 30 October, LNER 26 to 29 October, 31 October to 1 November, 17 to 18 October
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