Broken rail disrupting services between Barnsley and Leeds

[J-2739]

I looked on the Northern website today, and saw that due to a broken rail at Wakefield Kirkgate, northbound services from Barnsley to Leeds are not running. There was also something said about 'protracted' lead times for the replacement part??

Service changes due to a broken rail - Barnsley to Wakefield Kirkgate

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Service changes due to a broken rail - Barnsley to Wakefield Kirkgate
Breadcrumb
Due to a broken rail between Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate some lines are blocked.

How does it affect your service
Our advice to our customers
Services between Sheffield and Leeds via Barnsley are currently being disrupted due to a broken rail near Wakefield Kirkgate.

A replacement part is being sourced but lead times are expected to be protracted to due to the type of part required.



Effect on service:

Train services are unable to run from Barnsley towards Wakefield Kirkgate, in this direction of travel only, however services from Leeds/Wakefield Kirkgate towards Barnsley will also be affected due to delays and cancellations in the opposite direction of travel.

Services from Sheffield towards Leeds will be diverted between Meadowhall and Wakefield Kirkgate.

Services that run between Leeds and Sheffield via Moorthorpe are NOT affected.

A revised train plan is available here.

Alternative travel suggestions:

Customers at Chapeltown, Elsecar, Wombwell and Barnsley requiring stations between Darton and Leeds should use unaffected services to Meadowhall, changing there for diverted services to Wakefield Kirkgate and stations to Leeds.

Passengers travelling between Sheffield and Leeds may use Cross Country services. Northern tickets will be accepted.



Road replacement transport:

Road replacement transport will run between Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate, departing Barnsley on the hour every hour.



Other places to get more information
For customers on station platforms, please listen for announcements or consult Customer Information Screens for up-to-date train running information.

For live real time journey updates on board your train please visit journeycheck.com/northern or tweet our team @northernassist.

To re-plan your journey please visit nationalrail.co.uk.

If you've been delayed by 15 minutes or more, hold on to your tickets and claim compensation by visiting

Does anyone know more about this? How long the disruption is expected to last? I was thinking of taking a day trip in mid-January, just before I head back, so I want to know my options.

 

[30907]

My guess (in the absence of information) would be part of the diamond crossing at Horbury Junction, and preference has been given to keeping the route towards Mirfield open.

Depending on where you want to go, your northbound options are : hourly RRB to Wakefield, train via Penistone, or train via Meadowhall.

 

[AWK]

Line between Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate (in that direction only) expected to be closed until at least 21st Jan according to Northern.

Not sure what component had failed but seems a long time for a line to be closed so begs the question of why such a specialist part at this location? Dare say if this were on a key London commuter route it wouldn't take 4 weeks to sort...

 

[Blockman]

Can anyone in the know elaborate on this please?

Clearly it is more than just a broken rail in plain line, and is most likely a component of switches & crossings that has failed. It would be interesting to know a bit more, especially which points are affected in order to understand why the track layout doesn't permit any alternative routings.

 

[endofthetunnel]

It’s exactly as someone guessed in that thread, a break in the fixed crossing at Horbury Junctoon from Barnsley towards Wakefield. A temporary fix has allowed the route from Kirkgate towards Healey Mills to reopen but the crossing needs a complete replacement and will take weeks to source a replacement crossing.

There are no other route options at Horbury other than a very long section of single line working which isn’t viable with the amount of disruption that would bring to the other currently unaffected routes (Kirkgate towards Healey Mills or Barnsley, or from Healey Mills to Kirkgate).

Most Sheffield to Leeds via Barnsley services are now running via Moorthorpe and reversing at Wakefield Weetgate to keep trains and crews in the right places for the remainder of their diagrams. A few are running Sheffield to/from Darton.

 

[Blockman]

It’s exactly as someone guessed in that thread, a break in the fixed crossing at Horbury Junctoon from Barnsley towards Wakefield. A temporary fix has allowed the route from Kirkgate towards Healey Mills to reopen but the crossing needs a complete replacement and will take weeks to source a replacement crossing.

There are no other route options at Horbury other than a very long section of single line working which isn’t viable with the amount of disruption that would bring to the other currently unaffected routes (Kirkgate towards Healey Mills or Barnsley, or from Healey Mills to Kirkgate).

Most Sheffield to Leeds via Barnsley services are now running via Moorthorpe and reversing at Wakefield Weetgate to keep trains and crews in the right places for the remainder of their diagrams. A few are running Sheffield to/from Darton.

Thanks!

Presumably the Darton services are crossing back at Woolley as running through to Horbury would require using the defective crossing?

 

[endofthetunnel]

Presumably the Darton services are crossing back at Woolley as running through to Horbury would require using the defective crossing?

Absolutely yes, which is a slow process so only happening every couple of hours.

 

[LOL The Irony]

The Nottingham to Leeds service I was on on the 29th just skipped Barnsley altogether and went straight to Wakefield Westgate.

 

[endofthetunnel]

Indeed, towards Leeds they are all via Moorthorpe rather than Barnsley, except a few terminating at Darton.

 

[30907]

Line between Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate (in that direction only) expected to be closed until at least 21st Jan according to Northern.

Not sure what component had failed but seems a long time for a line to be closed so begs the question of why such a specialist part at this location? Dare say if this were on a key London commuter route it wouldn't take 4 weeks to sort...

ISTR it took that long at Lewisham a few years back.

 

[yorksrob]

I assume the Hallam stopper must be terminating at Wakefield, as my commute to Leeds was blissfully uncrowded this morning.

 

[J-2739]

I assume the Hallam stopper must be terminating at Wakefield, as my commute to Leeds was blissfully uncrowded this morning.

I'm pretty sure they're been run through Westgate instead?

 

[Harpers Tate]

Apparently it could be many months (verbal comment from someone who should know, so no citation available).

Of course what they should be doing is taking the opportunity to remodel the junction entirely to allow for higher line speeds to/from Barnsley, rather than having a bespoke part manufactured (overseas, probably) to restore what was a flawed (i.e. too slow) existing setup. It might even be quicker to finish.

 

[J-2739]

That's awful, then. Rail-replacement bus coach, here we come.

 

[endofthetunnel]

The RRBs are already running, with the Leeds-Sheffield stoppers being split in half and running Leeds - Kirkgate / Sheffield - Darton with bus in between.

The expresses are still running via Moorthorpe and Westgate.

I believe a temporary fix is underway and won’t be anything like as long as previously thought.

 

[J-2739]

The RRBs are already running, with the Leeds-Sheffield stoppers being split in half and running Leeds - Kirkgate / Sheffield - Darton with bus in between.

The expresses are still running via Moorthorpe and Westgate.

I believe a temporary fix is underway and won’t be anything like as long as previously thought.

I'm aware that RRBs are already running, just bracing myself for an extended period of taking those things for trips to Leeds and beyond!

I understand that these things take time, and patience is needed.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm pretty sure they're been run through Westgate instead?

Some definitely are. The stopper doesn't seem to be though.

 

[yorksrob]

Apparently it could be many months (verbal comment from someone who should know, so no citation available).

Of course what they should be doing is taking the opportunity to remodel the junction entirely to allow for higher line speeds to/from Barnsley, rather than having a bespoke part manufactured (overseas, probably) to restore what was a flawed (i.e. too slow) existing setup. It might even be quicker to finish.

That would be very poor if the case.

Questions would need to be asked why the country was unable to provide even non-standard track infrastructure within reasonable timescales.

 

[yorksrob]

I believe a temporary fix is underway and won’t be anything like as long as previously thought.

That's a relief.

 

[ASharpe]

Anyone know if the current disruption in the opposite direction due to this?

I'm on a coach from Barnsley to Wakefield now. I didn't realise on Monday when I planned this trip but it was in the journey planners yesterday as a bus return.

Also, for the first time ever I've had a ticket checked on the RRB. He even scanned it.

 

[Peterthegreat]

The Northern Website seems to have been amended to say disruption will last until the end of service TODAY.

 

[Iskra]

I can confirm the line is back open today