Sheffield United Wembley travel: Train operators prove disruption details and tell fans quickest route
Train operators have issued important guidance for Sheffield United fans planning to travel to Wembley for the Championship play-off final via train.
Chris Wilder’s side will do battle with Sunderland under the famous Wembley arch on Saturday (May 24), with a place in the Premier League up for grabs.
Both clubs will be backed by health travelling crowds relishing the opportunity to descend upon England’s most iconic stadium.
However, as Leeds United fans discovered last year, travel to Wembley can be chaotic. In order to make as many journeys as smooth as possible, train operators LNER and East Midlands Railway have teamed up to issue important information.
Engineering works will cause the closure of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and London St Pancras International, meaning the quickest route for those travelling from Sheffield will be via Doncaster.
Trains are expected to be extremely busy and fans have also been encouraged to consider travelling with EMR on May 23 or May 26.
Extra train services
LNER has provided additional services on May 24 and an additional 8:25pm northbound departure from London is now on sale.
The operator is now currently working with Network Rail to add a morning southbound service from Doncaster to London to King’s Cross, with a time to be confirmed.
LNER have also added a total of 600 extra seats on the 07:58am and 10:47am southbound departures from Doncaster.
There is also work being done to help fans travel safely between Sheffield and Doncaster. For those heading back to Doncaster on the 10pm service from London King’s Cross, TransPennine Express have added an extra 11:5pm service to get supporters back to Sheffield.
Regardless of the service fans have booked to travel on, they have been strongly advised to book a seat reservation.
Guidance for Wembley-bound Sheffield United fans
EMR’s customer experience director Philippa Cresswell said: "While essential engineering works between Bedford and Harpenden on 24–25 May mean we’re unable to run direct services to London St Pancras, these upgrades are part of a major programme to improve our railway and support the introduction of EMR’s new fleet – a long-term investment in better journeys for our customers.
"We know how important this day is for Blades supporters travelling from South Yorkshire and beyond, and although we can’t operate direct services, we’ve worked hard with our industry partners to offer alternative routes via Doncaster and Bedford.
“We’ll also have extra staff and enhanced crowd management in place to ensure fans are supported every step of the way to Wembley.”
Colette Casey, LNER’s customer experience director, added: “We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of Blades fans onboard LNER services this coming weekend as they travel to Wembley.
“LNER consistently works closely with other train operators and in situations like this where one rail route is not available, we’ll do all we can to help customers get where they need to be.
“With Blades fans travelling on LNER services from Doncaster and Retford, and Sunderland fans travelling down the East Coast Main Line from the north east, our trains will be extremely busy across the weekend.
“Make sure you follow our top travel tips to make your journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.”