Train services through Knottingley in West Yorkshire will be disrupted over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, Saturday, 29th to Monday, 31st August.

The disruption is because Network Rail is upgrading Brotherton Bridge near Knottingley, and will affect some Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) train services between Selby and York/Leeds/Micklefield, and between York and Moorthorpe.

Trains on those routes will be replaced by rail replacement bus services. Work will also take place to lay new track between York and Selby, at Sherburn-in-Elmet in North Yorkshire.

Brotherton Bridge was built across the River Aire in the mid-19th century, and was originally a tubular railway bridge, which was replaced in 1903 by the steel bridge in place today.

It is a significant piece of railway engineering infrastructure, as besides the main structure, it is part of a larger viaduct complex, which has approach arches on each side of the river.

During the weekend, Network Rail will renew the track support system across the bridge by replacing the old parts with modern fibre-reinforced components.

Scaffolding will remain in place after this weekend to allow further repairs to the bridge and repainting it.

Knottingley was in the news in March 2025 when a passenger travelling on a Northern train to Manchester experienced a medical emergency, to which the train’s conductor put his medical training into practice to help the passenger before more experienced medical personnel could intervene,

Northern and TransPennine Express will be working closely with Network Rail to keep customers moving during the disruption, which will help improve the reliability of the railway across the bridge.

Because of the disruption, anyone intending to travel through Knottingley this weekend should check their journey beforehand and leave extra time.

“Brotherton Bridge is a key piece of railway infrastructure, and these works will see the renewal of waybeams, which support the rails across structures like bridges, alongside essential repairs and repainting. “Combining this work with track renewal at Sherburn in Elmet allows us to make the best use of the time the railway is closed and deliver improvements that will support smoother, more reliable journeys. We’re sorry to anyone whose journey will be affected and appreciate the understanding of passengers while the work is carried out.”

Karen Duffy, Operations Director, Network Rail