Holgate, York

Over Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2023, our teams successfully replaced a major set of track points at Holgate in York.

Engineers from our TRU East Alliance installed the new points and 78 metres of new track with the aid of the largest rail-mounted crane in the UK, the Kirow 1200, which weighs in at over 110 tonnes and is capable of lifting and carrying up to 125 tonnes.

Following completion, tamper trains ensured the tracks were correctly aligned while our signalling teams reconnected the new points, enabling the line to re-open on time on 27 December.

Take a look at the work in action:

 

Carrying out work such as this over Christmas means we cause as little disruption as possible for passengers and trains carrying essential freight.

The heavily-used track points, which allow trains from Holgate Sidings to re-join the main lines, are crossed over by 100 passenger and freight trains each day and were approaching life-expiry. Replacing them will help ensure that trains arriving in York from Leeds run reliably.

This is a key part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will transform journeys across the North, better connecting towns and cities by delivering more frequent, faster trains between Manchester, Leeds and York on a greener, more reliable railway.