Hope Valley stations to close this weekend for rail upgrade works

On Sunday, May 29, and every weekend throughout July, Dore & Totley, Grindleford, Bamford and Hathersage stations will be closed to allow Network Rail and contractor VolkerRailStory Joint Venture (VRSJV) to work safely on critical parts of the project. Passengers are being urged to plan ahead with National Rail to keep their journeys on track.

Darren Lockwood, project director for VRSJV , said: “We thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we carry out these essential upgrade works on the Hope Valley line. The work plays an important part in facilitating this important investment in northern travel infrastructure.”

Hannah Lomas, of Network Rail, added: “There will be some changes to services and car park closures while our work takes place, so I’d like to thank passengers for bearing with us and apologise for any inconvenience.”

It has already been confirmed that Dore & Totley station car park will be partially and fully closed at different periods over the next three months, with alternative spaces available at Abbeydale Sports Club. Neighbouring businesses will remain open and accessible throughout.

Chris Nutton, major projects director for TransPennine Express, said: “While these engineering works take place on the Hope Valley line, there will be a number of changes to TransPennine Express services, and we’d advise our customers to check carefully for the latest advice before they travel.”

The huge project, now projected to cost £145million, is intended to remove bottlenecks on the line, allowing passenger trains to overtake slower freight trains, and improve reliability on services between Manchester and Sheffield.

Planned changes include a new platform and accessible footbridge at Dore & Totley, a railway loop between Bamford and Hathersage, a new overbridge at Hathersage West, signalling improvements and platform extensions to allow for more carriages on some services.

Tony Baxter, regional director at train operator Northern, said “We are sorry for any disruption during the improvements and our customers can be assured that both Northern and Network Rail will do everything possible to minimise the impact of the work and deliver alternatives that keep people on the move.”

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