The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has reached another milestone as engineers complete five consecutive weekends of critical work between Leeds and York, that will support the electrification of the railway.

Following overhead line equipment (OLE) mast installation earlier in the year, 7.5km of wiring has now been completed between Micklefield and Church Fenton, which will unlock faster, greener journeys in the future. Just to the east of this location, electric passenger services between York and Church Fenton are set to launch in the coming months, following last year’s successful switch-on between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.

In Cross Gates, Station Road bridge was also safely demolished and replaced so that OLE can be installed throughout the area.

Around 750m of track was renewed between Killingbeck and Cross Gates, which will support smoother, more reliable travel. A new track crossover was also installed to allow trains to change from one line to another, which will enable the programme to keep more people moving on trains during a future stage of TRU delivery.

Adam Sellers, senior sponsor for TRU, said:

“This latest series of upgrades has taken us a step closer to the electrification of the route between York and Manchester. Wiring is now in place in the Barkston Ash area, whilst Cross Gates station can now facilitate the installation of OLE masts.

“Work to deliver cleaner, greener services throughout this area will continue throughout the year, whilst attention also turns to the introduction of electric passenger services nearby, which is another huge milestone for the programme.”

The delivery of these upgrades was made possible through a full closure of the line between Leeds and York, with close coordination between train operators including TransPennine Express and Northern. To keep passengers moving, diversionary routes and rail replacement buses were in operation across all five weekends.

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