Rail chiefs urged to ‘get a move on’ and permanently fix broken track outside Wakefield

A senior West Yorkshire politician is calling on Network Rail to permanently fix a fault affecting “lifeline” rail services near Wakefield.

Horbury Junction suffered a broken rail on December 28, affecting services from Leeds, Castleford, and Wakefield to Barnsley, Sheffield, Nottingham and Lincoln.

A temporary fix for the track has now been created to bring services back to normal, but permanent repairs at the junction are still thought to be months away.

Councillor Manisha Kaushik, deputy chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said:

“We want the rail industry to get a move on and to fix this stretch of track once and for all.

“This temporary work was urgently needed, particularly for passengers travelling between Barnsley and Wakefield, and I have been impressed with the swift work from engineers.

“But this shows the vital need for investment to ensure the rail network is resilient. The initial concern of months of disruption underlines that reliable rail services are a lifeline for our smaller towns and cities, and we need to ensure they continue into the future.”