station

A BUSY UK train station is set to CLOSE for seven months for a major upgrade.

City Thameslink station in London has confirmed the next year closure, for a multi-million pound project to replace ten escalators.

The closure will take place from May 17, 2027 until late December 2027.

Thameslink trains will continue to run as normal but will not stop at the station.

Network Rail is recommending travellers to use Blackfriars as an alternative, which is around a six- minute walk away.

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We know closing City Thameslink is a significant change and we’re sorry for the disruption it will cause.

Read more on travel inspo

BOOK IT

20 ultra cheap girly hols – UK trips, city breaks & all inclusive stays from £59

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We have looked long and hard at every possible option and, although none of them are without impact, a single closure is the least disruptive and most efficient way to carry out this vital work.

“City Thameslink’s escalators are at the end of their operational life. By replacing them now we’re tackling the root causes of access disruption for passengers in one go.

“This means that when City Thameslink reopens in December 2027, customers will benefit from completely renewed escalators, designed to provide safer, more dependable and accessible journeys through this important station on our network.”

The current escalators have been at the station for around 35 years, but recent flooding damaged them.

The station, which opened in 1990, welcomes around 7.6 million people a year, as it is near popular attractions like St Paul’s Cathedral.

A full closure of the station was decided on instead of a partial closure for safety reasons.

A POPULAR UK train station is set to undergo a massive upgrade to handle millions more passengers a year.

Leeds station has confirmed a £303million upgrade with new entrances and bigger platforms.

The upgraded station will also include a new central overbridge as well as 40 per cent more rail ticket barriers.

More space is being created in the station, as well as better infrastructure and facilities for passengers.

As a part of the upgrade there will be three new entrances to the station, creating better connections to the South Bank, the Dark Arches and Princes Square.

There will be more space on the concourses and a longer platform 14 too.

Read more on travel inspo

BOOK IT

20 ultra cheap girly hols – UK trips, city breaks & all inclusive stays from £59

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

The station is one of the busiest in the north and aims to be transformed by 2030.

And by 2043, the station also hopes to handle an additional 12million passengers each year, raising the total passenger numbers to around 40million.

The works are set to eventually make it the UK’s third busiest station outside of London.

The upgraded station will also pave the way for the Transpennine Route Upgrade and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Leeds station is the gateway to West Yorkshire, and this extra £200 million investment will turn it into a station this city can be proud of: modern, welcoming and built for the people who rely on it every single day.

“The great cities of the North deserve better transport and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.

“We’re paving the way for Northern Powerhouse Rail, forging stronger connections across the region and backing the infrastructure that creates jobs, builds homes and puts passengers first as we work to set up Great British Railways.”

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “Leeds Station is the beating heart of our region’s transport network, connecting millions of people to jobs, education and opportunity every year – and it’s only going to get busier.

“This investment will benefit passengers and businesses, help to unlock the capacity we need for future growth and create a gateway to West Yorkshire that reflects our ambition.

“Together with our wider plans for West Yorkshire’s Weaver Network, we’re building a better-connected region which works for all.”

MOVE over St Pancras – there’s a new kid on the block for rail services to Europe.

Lord Sadiq Khan has revealed plans to launch trains to Europe from Stratford International Station within the next four years.

Despite its name, the station has never had international services, but according to The Standard, the station is set to undergo a £20million project to launch trains to France by 2030.

One in three trains to and from France could stop at the station under the new plans – being a stop on services, rather than a new origin or destination station.

It’s predicted that the stop would add five to eight minutes to the overall journey time.

Sadiq Khan told The Standard: “We’ve been working closely with the Government to make Stratford International truly ‘international’ for the first time – opening up new opportunities for jobs, investment and tourism, while connecting one of the UK’s fastest-growing economic centres directly to Europe.

Read more on travel inspo

SO FLY

Our fave beach hols under 5 hours from UK with Caribbean dupes & £2 bottles of wine

BOOK IT

20 ultra cheap girly hols – UK trips, city breaks & all inclusive stays from £59

“It’s time to unlock the full potential of this station and help write the next chapter in Stratford’s remarkable success story as we continue building a better, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”

If trains to Europe did launch at Stratford International Station, around five million people in and around London would have better access to international rail services.

Services could run to Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

And eventually, there could be trains to Germany and Switzerland as well.

The current plans are also backed by a number of businesses as well as the train drivers’ union Aslef.

Stratford International finished construction in 2006 with four platforms.

However, the two platforms for international services as well as the area for international passengers have remained abandoned for the past two decades.

In order for the area to open, more work would need to be done including making the flow of passengers through security more efficient.

The station would be able to handle around 250 to 300 passengers at a time.

Meanwhile, Virgin is set to launch services from London St Pancras also by 2030, competing with Eurostar.

A SMALL station in Manchester that first opened in the 1800s has been crowned the best in the country at the ‘World Cup of Stations’.

It has trackside seating, an Airbnb upstairs and beat 150 stations across the country for the title.

‘The World Cup Of Stations’ was launched in honour of 200 years of railways in Britain and brings attention to the stories behind the stations and how much they’ve changed and brought communities together.

This year there was 150 nominations from across the country, but Irlam in Salford took the title with 4786 votes.

Irlam Station first opened in 1873 and was used for many years although its station building fell into disrepair in the 1980s.

The station itself remained opened to passengers and now sees as many as 350,000 passengers each year.

HAPPY HOLLY-DAYS

The 8 UK holiday parks opening for Christmas this year with £6.62pp stays

BAG IT

Cheap summer 2027 holidays you should book NOW for under £60pp – before prices go up

11 years ago, the station house was restored as part of a £2million project and reopened in March 2015.

It’s much more than a simple station now, as inside is a railway-themed café-bar with train carriage booths.

The 142-year-old signal box has been restored and reopened.

There’s a heritage hub too which has railway artefacts including formerly used locomotives.

In The Station garden is an homage to Harry Potter‘s Platform 9 and three quarters, as well as James the Tank Engine.

Also outside in the Station Art Park are 3D sculptures which ‘reflect the area’s history‘ including a seating area and Hobbit-style cottage.

Back inside the station house is Irlam Café Bar which serves up breakfast, main meals from burgers to toasted sandwiches, salads and even Sunday roasts.

Afternoon tea can be booked from £18.95 and train enthusiasts will love that you can enjoy this in the Signal Box.

It’s also a bar so there are plenty of drinks to try too and seats outside for trainspotting.

Above the train station is an Airbnb – the apartment can sleep up to four people across two bedrooms and guests enter through the Station Master’s Door.

One guest wrote in their review: “The apartment is located in a train station which makes this very special place.”

Another called it a “unique space perfect for train enthusiasts.”

A three-night stay for four in November can be booked for £404 – or £33.67pppn.

Tricia Williams, Managing Director of Northern, said: “The station has a unique charm and is well worth a visit. You can enjoy a meal in the café, take a tour of the gardens to see some amazing 3D artwork and visit the heritage hub.”

The other final four stations in the running were Cardoss in Argyll & Bute, Brookwood in Surrey, Yatton in Somerset and Berney Arms in Norfolk.

Last year’s winner was Ashington in Northumberland which closed in the 1960s and then reopened in 2024.

ANOTHER UK train station could soon be made international in a predicted £1.3billion tourism boost.

There are now plans to put Stratford on the map by making it the second international stop in London, along with St Pancras.

Despite its name, Stratford International currently only operates domestic services.

The move would make Stratford the second international rail stop in London, along with St Pancras.

An application has now been submitted for a Business Rate Retention Zone (BRRZ) in the area.

A Business Rates Retention Zone allows local councils to reinvest money into local economic development, like expanding the train station.

FARE PLAY

UK begins rollout of ‘American-style’ ticket gates across train stations

LAST ORDERS

‘Vertical drinking’ ban row continues as Sadiq Khan urged to ‘do more’ for pubs

The London Mayor’s officials are meeting with train operators, authorities in Paris and commercial bodies to get backing for the plan.

Speaking to The Standard, Sadiq Khan said: “The case for creating a Stratford International worthy of the name is clear and compelling.

“The popularity of international rail continues to grow in London, which is why my team and I have been lobbying for cross-channel rail services from Stratford for many years – and I’m hoping that our efforts are close to paying off.”

He explained further: “Over the last few months, we’ve been working closely with this new Government to make Stratford International truly ‘international’ for the first time and we’re now within touching distance of getting our plans over the line.

“The data shows that bringing international services to Stratford would bring in an additional £1.3bn in tourist spending for the UK.

“Stratford has become one of Europe’s largest and most successful regeneration projects, and I believe with the arrival of cross-Channel services, the future of East London will be even brighter still.”

This is not the only proposal that has been made for Stratford – Sir Richard Branson‘s rail company Virgin Trains have confirmed they are interested in the station too.

A Virgin Group spokesperson previously said the company is: “looking forward to exploring additional stops, including Stratford International.”

Warsaw says the 2 suspects held in Germany will face sabotage charges.

Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany over a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland that Warsaw has branded an act of sabotage carried out on Russia’s behalf.

Polish officials announced the arrests on Monday, one month after the fire, which they say was aimed at disrupting internet services, including for Ukraine’s military. The fire, in Masovia in Eastern Poland, engulfed the Starlink station’s power system and backup generator.

Polish Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwinski said the two men would face charges in Poland of carrying out sabotage on the instructions of a foreign intelligence agency. German police made the arrests on behalf of Polish services, according to Deutsche Welle. Polish officials did not say where or when in Germany the men were detained.

“We have no doubt that Russian services are behind this act of sabotage,” Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said in a news conference. “It is worth adding that Russian services are increasingly turning to individuals linked to the criminal underworld,” he said.

The case is the latest in a string of incidents that officials across the European Union deem to be part of a Russian campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks aimed at eroding support for Ukraine.

The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Moscow has previously dismissed similar accusations as baseless and the product of anti-Russian hysteria.

Ukraine’s military relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and occasional drone operations. Starlink founder Elon Musk activated the service over Ukraine in 2022, days after Russia’s full-scale invasion, following a plea from Kyiv. Poland has said it pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription.

Musk has since clashed with Ukrainian officials over his views on the war. This year, he also agreed to switch off thousands of Russian “grey-market” Starlink terminals in Ukraine, causing problems for Russian forces. Ukraine is now seeking to use the terminals for attacks on Russian territory.

TRAVELLERS heading to a busy UK airport could face delays as major upgrades are set to get underway.

A £115 million upgrade at the airport’s train station is expected to cause delays as work begins at the end of the year.

For those who catch the train to Manchester Airport, major changes are expected to start as soon as December.

The project will expand Platforms 1, 2 and 3, lengthening them to allow more trains to serve the airport hub.

In addition to this, the track layouts on the approach to the station will be upgraded alongside railway signalling system improvements.

As a result of the improvements, Manchester Airport station will shut down completely on Sunday, December 6, 2026.

HIGH AND DRY

Stunning English island on verge of being EVACUATED due to water shortage

COSTA SO LITTLE

Popular holiday destinations with the CHEAPEST beer with pints from £1.27

Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Manchester Airport is a vital transport hub and this £115m investment from government will deliver more reliable services, increase capacity, and improve connections for the millions of passengers who use the station every year.

“This is the sort of improvement Great British Railways will be designed to deliver.

“By bringing track and train closer together under public ownership, we can take a more joined-up approach to investing in the railway, improving performance, putting passengers at the heart of every decision and growing the economy in the North.”

The £115m investment will be delivered by Network Rail and contractor Kier, and is expected to be completed sometime in 2028.

Passengers will face travel disruption as the programme gets underway.

Network Rail senior sponsor, Simon Daly, praised the improvement plan and apologised for any disruptions it may cause.

Daly said: “Manchester Airport station plays a vital role in connecting people across the country so these improvements will create more capacity for passengers, allow longer trains to serve the station and improve the reliability of services for years to come.

“The station closure on 6 December is an important first step in delivering these benefits. We recognise that any disruption is inconvenient and have worked closely with our partners to put plans in place, so passengers are kept on the move.”

A HUGE UK train station is set to close for even more days – and it hits right by Christmas.

Huddersfield Station has only just reopened after a 16-day closure, which is part of a £70million upgrade.

The works date back to 2023, as the station is hoping to become fully electric by 2023.

And it has since been announced that it will close for another six days from this weekend, followed by more than a month in January 2027.

Transpennine Route Upgrade confirmed the following weekends would see the station closed in 2026:

• October 10
• October 11
• November 14
• November 15
• December 13
• December 20

Read more on train stations

ON TRACK

Train station is returning to tiny UK village for first time since World War One

RAIL-Y COOL

World’s most beautiful train 2026 stations revealed

The December closures will affect the two Sundays before Christmas, so travellers are being warned to plan ahead.

This will then follow a huge 38-day closure from Christmas Eve (December 24, 2026) to January 31, 2027.

Liam O’Shaughnessy, TRU programme delivery lead for Northern, said: “The work that has been completed over the last 16 days in the Huddersfield area is another crucial step towards delivering the benefits that the Transpennine Route Upgrade will bring for customers across the north.

“We have worked closely with our industry partners to keep customers on the move, and these works have continued, and we would like to thank customers and local communities for their patience and cooperation, whilst these improvement works have been taking place.”

Upgrades include two new track lines through Huddersfield, restoration of the station’s roof and platforms, as well as upgrades at Deighton Station, and nearby road upgrades.

The station dates back to 1850, and named one of the most beautiful by Lonely Planet.

Now, it welcomes 3.1million passengers a year with routes across Yorkshire.

The station was even famously home to a cat, Felix.

Previously having a Sunday Times bestselling biography, he passed away in 2023.

A TRAIN station is set to return to the centre of a tiny UK village after more than 100 years. 

Work has started on bringing the station back following a “major breakthrough” on issues that delayed the scheme.

Villagers in Cheadle, Stockport, last had the use of a train station in 1917, when it was located near to the high street.

Since then, residents have been forced to use public transport and cars when travelling to nearby areas, including Manchester city centre.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council said concerns that other trains on the rail network might be delayed had stalled progress of the scheme.

However, in what has been described as a “hugely significant” move, council officials said work had now started on bringing back the station, which will be built near The Alexandra Hospital.

‘BEDBUG EXPRESS’

Trains cancelled after ‘bedbugs seen crawling over carriages’

OFF RAILS

London’s ‘worst station’ dubbed ‘deepest circle of hell’ is getting £50m upgrade

Funding for the station was approved in 2022, with planning permission granted in 2023, but concerns over timetabling led to delays. 

In a statement, Cllr Mark Roberts, leader of Stockport Council, said: “This is a hugely significant moment for Cheadle and for Stockport.

“For years we’ve fought for this station because we know the difference it will make to residents, businesses and the future prosperity of the area.

“Cheadle Station has always been about improving connections, creating opportunities and making it easier for people to travel for work, education and leisure and I am delighted that the highways work can now start on site later this month thanks to the persistence and partnership of all involved.”

Services are expected to run from Cheadle into Stockport town, Manchester Piccadilly and Chester. 

It remains unclear when the station will open to the public.