PASSENGERS are being warned of major disruption on the Airedale railway line as improvement work continues at Leeds Station.

Over a weekend next month, some services will not run at all and others will operate on a reduced timetable.

And Leeds Station will be closed completely for a morning, with no trains in or out of the city.

People intending to travel on October 26 or 27 are being urged to check, via National Rail Enquiries or with operator Northern, before they set off.

That weekend, engineers working on the construction of a new platform – platform zero – will be installing overhead line equipment and testing new signalling.

Network Rail says the changes to services and temporary total shutdown of the station – which will take place on the Sunday morning, October 27 – are necessary to allow the work to be carried out safely.

The company adds that once complete, the new platform will provide extra space for trains and lead to improved punctuality of services.

Campaigners are highly critical of peak-time overcrowding on the Airedale line and have hit out at unreliable services.

Chris Montgomery, major programme director with Network Rail, said: “When platform zero comes into use in 2021, it will benefit not only those passengers travelling to and from Leeds but services across the region, as it will take the pressure off the station and reduce the impact of knock-on delays.

“The work we are doing at Leeds will have an impact on services throughout the weekend of October 26/27 and we would like to apologise for any disruption or inconvenience this may cause. We wish to thank passengers for their patience while this work is carried out.”

On the Sunday morning, a replacement bus service will operate between Shipley and Leeds.

It will mean that just under half an hour is added to journeys from Skipton/Keighley to Leeds.

Passengers on the 10.30am service from Skipton, for example, will arrive in Leeds at 11.34am instead of the usual 11.06am.

A spokesman for the train operators using Leeds Station said: “We would advise anyone planning on travelling to, from or through Leeds on Saturday, October 26 or Sunday, October 27 to check their journey in advance.

“On the Sunday morning it is the annual Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash in the city centre, and we would urge participants and spectators to allow extra time for their journeys to and from the centre. We continue to work with Network Rail to keep disruption to a minimum and we would like to thank all those impacted for their patience.”

The Abbey Dash attracts thousands of runners, including many from the Keighley and Craven area.