Leeds

For the Premier League’s biggest clubs, this competition is usually an opportunity to blood youngsters and give fringe players valuable minutes.

However, only 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, who scored twice, emerged from the starters with a compelling case for more regular involvement.

Even Valentin Barco, despite scoring Chelsea‘s fifth goal, was partly at fault for Leeds‘ second and was among several players who repeatedly surrendered possession during a difficult first half.

Young attackers Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens suffered the disappointment of being substituted at half-time, while £40m signing Geovany Quenda, who joined from Sporting, did not add to his solitary substitute appearance for the club as he watched from the bench.

Midfielder Reggie Watson, making his debut at the age of 16, was also withdrawn at the break after being booked.

Alonso later said he would not take a “cynical” view as some on the outside might about the difference in level between his proven stars and Chelsea‘s back-up options.

He added: “I know that probably I have to take the right decisions for them to show their best level, so it’s something that I will analyse and learn from today.”

Nevertheless, reaching the fourth round is important for Chelsea.

It is not only about preserving their hopes of silverware in a season without European football, but Chelsea are also a club that need as many competitive fixtures as possible.

They have a 27-man squad, supported by a strong academy pipeline, and these matches are vital for keeping a large group of players engaged throughout the campaign.

There is an irony, then, that Palmer, Rogers and Chelsea‘s other established stars may have secured future opportunities for the very fringe players whose performances had put the club’s EFL Cup campaign at risk.

CRUZ Beckham’s festival debut became a sweet family affair as he dedicated a song to his little sister, Harper – who later took to the stage. 

The 21-year-old rocker son of David and Victoria Beckham made his festival debut at Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend with his band, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers.

His proud mum and dad were watching from the side of the stage, with siblings Romeo, 23, and Harper, 15, standing amid the crowd at Reading to watch him play. 

Towards the end of the set, Cruz took a moment to dedicate his track Mr Nobody to the youngest member of the Beckham family.  

“This show is our second to last show on this tour and we’ve had an incredible time,” he told the crowd at The Canopy stage. 

“It’s been amazing seeing everybody and just want to thank you for all the love and all the support. This next song, I’d like to dedicate to my little sister who’s just dancing right there.”

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Harper later joined Cruz’s girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, to make a surprise appearance on stage and throw t-shirts into the crowd. 

After the performance, Cruz shared clips from the set where thousands of revellers were seen cheering the band on. 

He added to the clip on Instagram: “READING oh my god. I have no words. Leeds, let’s do it again today. Thank you thank you thank you” 

The band will perform at Reading’s sister festival Leeds today – with the appearances tying into the release of their EP, Wear & Tear. 

Speaking in the new issue of Dork magazine, Cruz acknowledged why people might be sceptical about his music, but insisted he’s prepared to put in the hard graft to establish his place as a performer. 

“It’s better to be underestimated than overestimated,” he told the mag. 

“I’m glad that people are liking the songs. I’m glad that people are giving me the opportunity. To be honest, I was surprised they even gave me the opportunity in the first place.

“I understand that they would think that everything’s gonna be a bit s**t and a bit too polished.

“But you know, I love music, and I really love playing live, and I’m just excited to be able to do it.”

“My experiences in life have been very different to a lot of people’s experiences, but I still feel like I’ve got something to say,” he added. 

HOLLY Hagan has voiced some fears after her sister’s drug death as she warned Reading and Leeds festival-goers to “please be careful.”

The Geordie Shore star’s sibling tragically passed away last October just before her 20th birthday.

Taking to Instagram, Holly shared: “I haven’t stopped thinking about the fact that someone might not make it back from the festivals.

“When I see people’s videos walking into the camp grounds so happy for the weekend’s of their lives.

“I just think I hope to God you all make it home.

“On average 5 people a year die during UK festivals and the vast majority of those deaths are MDMA related.

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“Nobody thinks it’ll happen to them until it does.

“I know my sister’s death won’t be the last of this nature and it’s such a gut wrenching thought that other families will have to go through what we have.

“Please be careful. Look after your friends and don’t show off. It’s not worth the risk.”

Holly previously revealed that her world stopped spinning when she woke up one day to a whole load of missed calls and discovered Darci had collapsed on a night out and been rushed to hospital.

At just 19, she’d taken an accidental drug overdose and suffered two cardiac arrests.

Two days later, Darci died of organ failure with her family all around her.

In an emotional statement, Holly wrote: “It is with immeasurable grief and sadness that our baby girl, my baby sister Darci Rose passed away peacefully holding my hand surrounded by family and her best friends.

“She was never in any pain. The last four days have been something I hope no family ever has to go through.

“We are traumatised in every sense of the word.”

It came after The Sun revealed that Holly’s famous friends were doing everything they could to help after Darcy’s passing.

Earlier this year, Holly revealed that she talks to Darci through a medium, and that she’ll tell son about her sister’s tragic drug death.

KASABIAN’S Leeds Festival headlining slot is under threat as bosses have sent an urgent warning to “take cover”.

The annual festival kicked off it’s four-day extravaganza today, with revellers expected to turn up in their thousands to see their favourite acts perform live.

Iconic rock band Kasabian, which consists of members Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews and Tim Carter, are set to perform tonight at on The Grid stage from 9:20 to 10:50pm.

However, it’s been revealed that a thunderstorm is going to happen in Leeds and it could derail the highly-anticipated performance.

The organisers took to Instagram to share a statement for those attending the festival today.

They penned: “Weather update. There will be a thunderstorm in Leeds today.

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“Please take cover where you can including in your camping tents and avoid sheltering under trees.”

Festival-goers took to the comments section to share their thoughts as they urged bosses not to cancel acts because of the weather.

One person wrote: “I better see no acts cancelled because of this weather.”

Another reveller commented: “Is this a joke.”

Somebody else said: “Please don’t do what you did last time and shut the stages down. Hopefully the stages aren’t affected much.”

Yet another joked: “It wouldn’t be Leeds Festival without rain!!”

The iconic event began at 10am this morning and will be running until Sunday evening.

Other stars set to perform over the next few days are Charli XCX, Chase and Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine and Raye.

As well as this, sombr, Skepta, Jade and Declan McKenna will also be crooning to some of their biggest tracks.

The iconic event is taking place at Bramham Park, which is located between Leeds and York.

The 49ers were part of the US consortium who took control of Rangers last year but York is not involved in the day-to-day running of the club.

Rangers and Leeds have both said they will not be commenting.

The 49ers said: “As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

York became a co-owner of Rangers through 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm linked to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, where he serves as chief executive and principal owner.

In May 2025, a consortium led by US businessman Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises completed a takeover of Rangers after acquiring a controlling 51% stake in the Scottish Premiership club.

Cavenagh became Rangers chairman, with 49ers Enterprises taking a leading role in the club’s ownership.

The takeover followed months of negotiations and brought Rangers under majority American-backed ownership.

49ers Enterprises first invested in Leeds United in 2018 when the club was in the Championship, steadily increasing its investment as the Whites returned to the Premier League following a 16-year absence, before assuming full control in 2023.

As an NFL owner, York is subject to league policies. “We are aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy,” the NFL said.

Reading and Leeds PRIZE DRAW PROMOTION RULES:

1. By entering this promotion (the Promotion), you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (the Terms and Conditions).  Completion and submission of an entry form or e-mail will also be deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.  Promotional materials relating to the Promotion, including all information on how to enter the Promotion published in publications of the Promoter (including social media if applicable) or on the Promoter’s websites, also form part of these Terms and Conditions. In the event of any conflict between any terms referred to in such promotional materials and these Terms and Conditions, these Terms and Conditions take precedence.
2. The promoter of this Promotion is News Group Newspapers Ltd (publishers of The Sun and The Sun on Sunday) of 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF (the Promoter).

Eligibility

3. The Promotion is only open to residents of the United Kingdom.
4. You must be aged 18 years or older to enter the Promotion. 
5. The following individuals are not eligible to enter the Promotion:
   1. employees and agents of the Promoter, News Corp UK & Ireland Limited (or any group companies of the Promoter or News Corp UK & Ireland Limited);

2. employees and agents of (i) any organisation directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion (including third party promotional partners); and (ii) any associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies of such organisations or partners; and

3. the immediate families and household members of all such employees and agents referred to in (a) and (b).

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6. By entering the Promotion, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and are eligible to claim the Prize you may win. The Promoter may require you to provide proof of your age, residency, and eligibility to enter the Promotion. If a Winner is found to be ineligible, the Promoter reserves the right to award the Prize to another participant and to require the return of the Prize (or any portion of the Prize) if already awarded. The Promoter’s decision as to whether an entrant is eligible for this promotion is final and the Promoter is not obliged to provide any reasons for disqualification.
7. You must comply with the laws that apply to you in the jurisdiction that you access the Promotion from. If any laws applicable to you restrict or prohibit you from entering the Promotion, you must comply with those laws and, if applicable, refrain from entering the Promotion.

Timing

8. The Promotion starts at 01.00am (UK time) on Sunday 23rd August 2026 and closes at 11.59pm (UK time) on Monday 24 August 2026 (the Promotion Period). Any entries received outside the Promotion Period are automatically disqualified. 

How to Enter

9. How to enter:

10. Participants may make a maximum of one entry per person during the Promotion Period. Bulk, automatically generated or third party entries are void.

11. The Promoter reserves the right to remove or temporarily suspend any entries submitted from the Promotion if it reasonably suspects any breach of these Terms and Conditions or if it receives any complaint from any third party relating to such entry.

12. Any entries received other than via the official entry methods will not be accepted. Use of script, macro or any automated system to enter the Promotion is prohibited. Entries made (or which appear to have been made) using any such system may be treated as void.  Any illegible, incomplete or fraudulent entries will be rejected. No purchase of any product or service is required to enter into this Promotion. 

13. Incomplete or illegible entries will be void.  

Winners and Prizes 

14. There will be 2 (two) winners of the Promotion (the Winners), who will receive a Prize (as defined below). One Winner will be selected at random from all valid entries for “Reading”, and one Winner will be selected at random from all valid entries for “Leeds”, received during the Promotion Period by a computer process that produces verifiably random results. There will be no prizes for any other participants.

15. The Prizes are:
16. One pair of general admission tickets to Reading Festival (awarded to the Reading draw Winner). Tickets are valid for 5 days between 26 August 2026 and 30 August 2026 only. Winner must be 18 or over (valid photo ID may be required). If the Winner’s guest is a minor, the minor must be accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian (at their own expense). Venue reserves the right to refuse entry. Winner and guest are responsible for travel to and from the show, at their own expense. Winner and guest must use tickets on the same date[s].

2. One pair of general admission tickets to Leeds Festival (awarded to the Leeds draw Winner). Tickets are valid for 5 days between 26 August 2026 and 30 August 2026 only. Winner must be 18 or over (valid photo ID may be required). If the Winner’s guest is a minor, the minor must be accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian (at their own expense). Venue reserves the right to refuse entry. Winner and guest are responsible for travel to and from the show, at their own expense. Winner and guest must use tickets on the same date[s].

16. The Prize is non-exchangeable and non-transferable.  The Winners have no right to request or receive an alternative to the Prize, and the Prize cannot be redeemed for cash or its monetary value, in whole or in part. 

17. Notwithstanding paragraph 16 above, in the event that, for any reason beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control, the Promoter is unable to award the Prize as described in these Terms and Conditions, the Promoter reserves the right to award a prize of a similar nature and an equivalent value, or at its sole discretion, the cash value of the Prize.  The Promoter also reserves the right to award a prize of a similar nature and an equivalent value, or at its sole discretion, the cash value of the Prize if in its reasonable discretion it is appropriate to do so.

18. The Winners are responsible for paying all costs and expenses that are not included within the Prize, but are incidental to the Winners redeeming the Prize, including (for example) transport, accommodation, meal costs, spending money, insurance and any other incidentals.  The Winners is also personally responsible for any personal expenses and any VAT, national and/or local tax liabilities (if any) incurred in claiming or using the Prize.  

19. By participating in the Promotion, participants agree that the Prize is awarded on an “as is” basis and that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, neither the Promoter nor any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies, make any guarantees, representations or warranties of any nature with respect to the Prize. 

20. The Promoter may amend or withdraw any element of a competition, prize draw, vote or poll for reasons beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to the unavailability of the vote, poll, competition or prize draw entry platform before the closing date, or for strike, lock-out, labour dispute, illness, act of God, natural disaster, adverse weather conditions, war, riot, civil commotion, accident, public health concern in relation to potential infection, epidemic or pandemic, malicious damage, fire, flood and/or storm, compliance with law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, breakdown of plant, machinery or transportation.  The Promoter is not responsible for any loss or damage caused to you as a result of any of these occurrences.  

Winners Notification and Claiming Prize 

21. The Promoter will use its reasonable endeavours to notify the Winners by phone or using the other contact details provided to the Promoter on Tuesday 25 August.  The Winners need to confirm acceptance of the Prize within 24 hours of being notified they have won. Winners may be required to submit valid identification before receiving their prize.   

22. If a Winner cannot be contacted within this 24 hour window or (ii) refuses or is unable to confirm acceptance of the Prize, the Promoter reserves the right to re-draw a new Winner at random, using a computer process that produces verifiably random results), from the remaining valid entries that were received during the Promotion Period.   
23. The Prize will be delivered, or details with instructions on how to book or obtain the Prize will be communicated, to the Winner within 12 HOURS after the Prize has been accepted.  

Publicity and Data Protection 

24. The Promoter will collect and process participants’ personal information in accordance with the privacy policy at http://www.newsprivacy.co.uk/. 
25. The Promoter is required to either publish or make available information that indicates a valid award took place. As such, (and subject to any objections of the Winner) the Promoter will send the surname and county of the Winners and, if applicable copies of their winning entries, to anyone that contacts the Promoter at the address given above by no later than 28 (twenty eight) days after the end of the Promotion Period. 

26. The Winners of this Promotion may be asked to participate in publicity.

27. If Winners objects to their information being published and/or made available, or participating in publicity as described above, they should inform the Promoter at the earliest opportunity by emailing help@thesun.co.uk.  The Winners acknowledge that the Promoter may still be required to share their details with the Advertising Standards Authority or other regulators.

Liability 

28. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall in any way limit or exclude the Promoter’s liability for fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by its negligence or for any other matter where liability may not be limited as a matter of law. 

29. The Promoter will not be responsible for any damage, loss or injury resulting from participants’ entry into the Promotion or their acceptance and/or use of the Prize, or for technical, hardware or software failures, lost, faulty or unavailable network connections or difficulties of any kind that may limit or prohibit participant’s ability to participate in the Promotion.  Your statutory rights are not affected.

30. The Promoter will not be responsible for any lost, damaged, defaced, incomplete, illegible or otherwise unreadable entries. Proof of sending an entry (whether by post, email, SMS or other method) is not proof of receipt by the Promoter of any entries.

31. Without prejudice to a participant’s statutory rights and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Promoter, its agents or distributors will not be responsible or liable to compensate the Winners or accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by or any personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up a Prize.

32. The title in the Prize and any risk of loss or damage to the Prize will pass to the Winners upon delivery of the Prize to such Winner. The Promoter is not liable for or obliged to replace any defective, lost, damaged or stolen Prize where such defect, loss or damage is not due to the fault and/or negligence of the Promoter.

General 

33. The Promoter’s decision as to the Winners of the Prize is final and binding on the participants. The Promoter will not enter into correspondence with participants in relation to this decision.

34. Participants agree to keep confidential any information of any nature regarding the Promoter and its businesses, personnel, agents, sponsors and event promoters received by participants as a result of winning or participating in any Promotion.

35. The provision of the Prize does not imply endorsement by Festival Republic or any third parties concerned in any way with the Promotion.

36. Unless otherwise stated in the promotional materials, this Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, the manufacturer or service provider of the relevant Prize. Participants are providing their information to the Promoter and not to the manufacturer or service provider of the relevant Prize (although, if a participant wins, their details may be disclosed to the Prize provider in order to provide them with the Prize).

37. Participants must not do anything illegal and/or dangerous and/or that would put themselves or others at any risk with the Prize or in connection with the Promotion in any way.  

38. Any participant who enters or attempts to enter the Promotion in a manner, which in the Promoter’s reasonable opinion is contrary to these Terms and Conditions or by its nature is unjust to other participants (including tampering with the operation of the Promotion, cheating, hacking, deception or any other unfair playing practices such as intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other participants or the Promoter and/or any of its agents or representatives) may be rejected from the Promotion at the Promoter’s sole discretion. Furthermore, where such actions have significantly impaired the Promotion, the Promoter may, at its sole discretion, add further stages to the Promotion as it deems reasonably necessary in order to resolve any problems arising from such actions.

39. The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to cancel, modify or amend any element of the Promotion and/or these Terms and Conditions. Any such cancellation or any material amendment will be notified by posting the updated Terms and Conditions on the Promoter’s website. The Promoter is not responsible for any loss or damage caused to you as a result of any event outside the Promoter’s control.

40. These Terms and Conditions are governed by English law. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute or claim arising in association with the Promotion or these Terms and Conditions.

41. The Promoter may transfer all or part of its rights under these Terms and Conditions to someone else without obtaining your consent; provided such transfer does not significantly disadvantage you.

42. Any provision of these Terms and Conditions which is deemed illegal and/or prohibited or unenforceable under any applicable law will be ineffective to the extent of such illegality, prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions.

43. If you have any difficulty accessing or entering this Promotion, please contact the Promoter at help@thesun.co.uk. If you would like these terms and conditions in another format (for example: audio, large print, braille), please get in contact and the Promoter will endeavour to provide it.

In-paper T&Cs 

Your terms and conditions to be included in the paper are set out below.  If space is particularly limited, please discuss with legal to ascertain if it is possible to shorten these further.  

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Promotion closes at 23.59pm on Monday 24 August. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries and notified by phone/email on Tuesday 25 August 2026. Winners must claim their prize by 23.59 on Tuesday 25 August 2026. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at newsprivacy.co.uk Promoter is News Group Newspapers Limited. Full T&Cs apply – see [insert hyperlink].

Social Media T&Cs

Your terms and conditions to be included in the social media post are set out below.  If space is particularly limited, please discuss with legal to ascertain if it is possible to shorten these further.  

How to participate: Enter via Sun Club hub or email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk with name, address and contact number.   UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 24/08/2026.  Promoter: News Group Newspapers Ltd

After leading Leeds to safety, Farke had threatened to quit, saying he is “not the right choice” to lead the club if they fail to match his ambition in the summer.

The club hierarchy listened and backed the German in the transfer market in the summer, investing about £80m on new arrivals.

Three of them started for Leeds in their season opener and encouragingly for Farke offered early signs of promise.

Goalkeeper James Trafford justified the £45m – a record for a British goalkeeper – Leeds paid to Manchester City for his services with some decisive stops.

Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic not only put in a solid shift in defence but also proved he is a weapon from set-pieces as he tested Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels with a towering header at the other end.

Harry Wilson, who signed for free after 10 goals and seven assists for Fulham last season, almost marked his debut with a goal before he was denied by the offside flag.

“From the very first minute they walked into the building, they have shown their quality,” Ampadu said.

“They have shown why they have been brought in to try and help us get to the next level. They’ve shown that hunger and drive to take Leeds to a better place so that has been very good.”

Farke also echoed his captain’s sentiments, saying: “I am very happy because they have big boots to fill.

“Trafford is a good player but he hasn’t played that many Premier League games, Tarik too. So they both shined and showed why we agreed to sign them, but the whole group was excellent today.

“Wilson too was excellent. The vibe and mood is good around the place,” said Farke, who is now the third-longest-serving manager in the league after Arsenal‘s Mikel Arteta and Aston Villa‘s Unai Emery.

With new arrivals making an immediate impact and old faces such as Stach continuing to deliver the goods, Leeds have every reason to believe this season could be their best yet under Farke.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke reacts to his side’s 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, sealed by Anton Stach’s free‑kick in the opening game of their 2026-27 Premier League season.

MATCH REPORT: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds United

Available to UK users only.

Leeds United have agreed an £8.5m deal to sign Swiss defender Nico Elvedi.

The 29-year-old is travelling to England for a medical on Monday after Borussia Monchengladbach accepted an offer worth an initial £6.8m, with a further £1.7m in add-ons.

The versatile Switzerland international is set to end his 11-year stay with the German top-flight club by moving to Elland Road.

Elvedi is a highly experienced addition, having earned 73 caps for his country and featured as part of Switzerland’s squad at this summer’s World Cup.

Asked about the deal after a 4-0 pre-season win over Augsburg, Leeds manager Daniel Farke said: “I’ve been working in football long enough to know everything is only final once the medical checks are completed and all the paperwork is signed. We’ve seen situations like this before.

“So I only speak about new players once they have been officially announced and everything is settled. But I don’t want to lie, and we expect something to happen in the next 48 hours.”

The move would allow fringe Leeds defender Sebastiaan Bornauw to join Hamburg on an initial loan with an option to buy.

Leeds begin their Premier League campaign away at Nottingham Forest next Saturday.

Paul Walter hits eight sixes in an unbeaten 80, as he helps Manchester Super Giants set Sunrisers Leeds 187 to win in their Hundred eliminator match, with a place in the final on the line.

FOLLOW LIVE: Marsh out early as Sunrisers need 187 to beat MSG

Available to UK users only.

TWO train stations are set to close for two weeks for major upgrades – including a very busy one.

Huddersfield and Slaithwaite train stations in West Yorkshire are set to close for two weeks from mid-September.

The closure is so that the stations can undergo major projects and will take place between September 19 and October 4.

The project includes completing the new £70million Huddersfield train station.

At Huddersfield station, the subway will be extended to platforms 4 and 5, which are also getting upgrades to be able to be used for longer trains.

The station roof is also getting repaired.

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Away from the stations, the railway line between Stalybridge and Mirfield will also be impacted, meaning that Mossley, Greenfield and Marsden stations will be closed between September 19 and 20 and again between October 3 and 4.

Nearby, Deighton Station, will also get a new footbridge and railway track in the area will be renewed.

Disruption for passengers won’t stop there either, as there will be another closure – this time lasting 38 days – from Christmas Eve to complete Huddersfield station before being completed in February 2027.

The entire project is part of the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will focus on modernising the railway between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

Sophie Leishman, Transpennine Route Upgrade sponsor, said: “While we know there will be some disruption while this work takes place, these upgrades are essential to delivering the more reliable, accessible and higher-capacity railway that customers deserve.

“We’re making real progress across the route, from the redevelopment of Huddersfield station to improvements that will support longer trains, better performance and future electrification.”

Liam O’Shaughnessy, Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme Delivery Lead at Northern, said: “There will be disruption to Northern and other operators’ services during these works, with services amended and some trains replaced with buses.

“We strongly advise all customers to check before they travel and use National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys.”