Network Rail completes 300m drainage renewal on East Coast Main Line in North Yorkshire

Network Rail has renewed 300 metres of drainage at Chapman's Bridge, near Shipton in North Yorkshire, over two weekends of East Coast Main Line work on 24-25 October and 31 October-1 November 2026.

The infrastructure owner said on 3 November that the renewal would help water drain away from the railway more effectively ahead of autumn and winter weather. It said poor drainage can contribute to flooding, deterioration of the track layout and problems with surrounding earthworks.

The drainage job was one element of a wider possession. Network Rail said engineers also installed new track, upgraded several sets of points and improved overhead lines between Colton Junction, about six miles south of York, through York station and up to Skelton Junction, about two miles to the north. Vegetation management took place between Tollerton and Thirsk.

John Grainger, joint head of performance, Network Rail East Coast and LNER, said: "The work at Chapman's Bridge is a very good example of some of the less visible work we do to keep the railway running safely and reliably."

The drainage budget

Network Rail said its East Coast route has more than 35,000 drainage assets, with £19.3m budgeted for drainage renewals and maintenance during the five-year period to 2029.

In its guidance on flooding, Network Rail says heavy rain can overwhelm drainage systems and flood railway tracks, and that it keeps drainage clear of blockages from vegetation, silt and debris as part of its flood preparation.

The wider possession

Network Rail's advance release for the two weekends set out a scope that included track renewals totalling almost 2.6km between York, Colton Junction, Holgate Junction and Skelton Junction. It also listed the renewal and replacement of points at Tollerton North, Colton Junction and Northallerton, and platform improvements including surface works on platform 2 at York station.

Ahead of the works, Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER, said some journeys would take longer than usual or involve a rail replacement bus. According to the advance release, LNER trains were replaced by buses between Doncaster and Darlington during the two weekends.

Church Fenton bridge

The East Coast work ran alongside a separate nine-day closure between Leeds and York, during which the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) installed a new road bridge over the railway at Church Fenton and new overhead line equipment.

Network Rail said engineers worked around the clock between 24 October and 1 November to install the new Common Lane railway bridge, and that the line between Leeds and York reopened to trains on time. No trains ran between York and Leeds during the closure.

According to Network Rail's 2 November release, the previous bridge was built in 1901 and was reaching the end of its lifespan. The TRU project page says routine Network Rail inspections confirmed the structure was nearing the end of its asset life, and that it was too low to accommodate the overhead line equipment needed for electrification, so TRU brought the replacement forward.

The TRU timeline shows the existing metal bridge deck and brick arch section were removed on 10-11 October, ahead of the main beam installation.

Carl Harland, TRU customer lead for Northern, said: "The upgrades that have been delivered form an integral part of transforming the route between Leeds and York".

TRU also holds powers under the Leeds to Micklefield Order to replace five level crossings with safer alternatives on the Leeds to York section, according to the project's website.

What happens next

Work has started to relocate diverted utility services within the new Church Fenton bridge before the road is restored. Common Lane over the railway is closed to traffic between 13 July 2026 and 4 June 2027, with the new bridge scheduled to reopen to traffic and pedestrians on 5 June 2027.