Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is reminding passengers travelling along the rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York to plan their journeys ahead of time, as track upgrades in Huddersfield are due to take place each weekend throughout September and October.
Over the two months, hundreds of engineers working on the multi-billion-pound scheme will replace approximately 650m of railway tracks. This work will enable trains to travel at higher speeds and improve the overall reliability of services passing through the area in the future, as the number of railway tracks will increase from two to four.
While the railway line through Huddersfield will be temporarily closed to facilitate the upgrades, passengers will be kept on the move through a combination of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses.
Gareth Hope, Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said “Between September and October, we’ll be renewing the railway tracks in Huddersfield each weekend. This work is a key aspect of our wider upgrades and will not only allow for trains to travel at higher speeds in the future, but also increase the reliability of services.”
“We’re committed to ensuring a smooth transition during the upgrades and passengers can rely on a mixture of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses to keep them moving.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the work takes place and remind customer to check www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or their respective train operator’s if travelling over this period”.
Additionally in August, engineers will complete railway bridge upgrades in the Huddersfield area on 6, 13, 19, 20 August 2023. These upgrades will allow the number of railway lines to increase, by strengthening the bridge structures to support more weight.
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: “This vital work is key to the overall modernisation of the railway that will be taking place as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will help deliver a faster and more sustainable service for our customers who travel between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
“We’d like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while this work take place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions, and we advise our anyone to check carefully before travelling. We’ll have extra staff on hand at stations to help customers who are travelling on days affected by this work.”
The track upgrades are essential for achieving the TRU’s vision of creating a cleaner, greener, and more reliable railway system, bringing improved connectivity and travel experiences to passengers traveling across the Pennines.
Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Whilst this work is essential and will lay the foundations for the transformation of Huddersfield station, we appreciate that nobody likes the thought of disruption to their journeys. That’s why we’ve worked hard to keep our customers on trains, with trains running as normal during these works between Sheffield, Barnsley and Lockwood, connecting with just a short bus journey between Lockwood and Huddersfield. I’d like to thank customers in advance for bearing with us whilst this work takes place.” TRU will enhance rail connectivity and improve travel experiences for passengers traveling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York, better connecting towns and cities through more frequent, faster trains, running on a cleaner, greener and more reliable railway.
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