Engineering work at Keadby sliding railway bridge will lead to amended journeys this weekend, affecting passengers travelling between Doncaster and Cleethorpes on Saturday and Sunday (16–17 May).

The distinctive bridge, which links South Yorkshire with Scunthorpe and the Lincolnshire coast, sits on one of the UK's busiest freight corridors.

Network Rail teams will install a new track system and upgrade mechanical components to improve rail alignment, delivering smoother, more reliable crossings of the bridge and cutting the need for future maintenance.

Over the weekend, TransPennine Express services will operate between Liverpool Lime Street and Doncaster only, with replacement buses running between Doncaster and Scunthorpe/Cleethorpes.

On Saturday, Northern trains will run between Doncaster and Hatfield & Stainforth only. Buses will replace trains between Hatfield & Stainforth and Scunthorpe. Additional Northern services will run between Sheffield and Cleethorpes via Gainsborough Central. Northern does not operate on the Doncaster–Scunthorpe route on Sundays.

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Further disruption is expected next week as track renewal continues south of Elsham, Lincolnshire. From Monday 18 to Friday 22 May, trains from Liverpool Lime Street will terminate at Scunthorpe, with rail replacement buses running between Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes.

Karen Duffy, Network Rail operations director, said: "Keadby sliding bridge is a vital link for both passenger and freight services, and this work will help ensure it continues to operate reliably for years to come. By improving the alignment of the track, we can deliver smoother journeys and reduce the need for future maintenance. We'd like to thank passengers for their patience while this essential work takes place and encourage them to check before they travel."

A spokesperson for TransPennine Express and Northern said: "We're working closely with Network Rail to support these important improvements. While services will be amended over the weekend and into next week, these upgrades will help provide more reliable journeys in future. We'd like to thank customers for their understanding and encourage them to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling."

This weekend's activity follows a series of mechanical and structural enhancements at Keadby over the past year, including repainting the bridge white to reduce heat absorption. Maintenance remains at heightened levels to keep the structure—dating back to the 1860s and converted to a sliding bridge in 1925, spanning the Stainforth and Keadby Canal—operating as reliably as possible.