As the year draws to a close, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is marking another 12-months of strong progress, with major achievements delivered across the route, bringing customers closer to more frequent, faster and greener rail journeys between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
Across the 70 miles, significant headway has been made with the roll-out of electrical overhead lines, supporting greener, cleaner rail travel and helping to modernise services for the long term. In August, Team TRU celebrated a key milestone as 25% of the route was electrified between York and Church Fenton, joining Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge as electrified sections on TRU.
Huddersfield remained a key area for the programme this year, one of the major undertakings being the 30-day station closure in September. Working around the clock, engineers installed new bridge beams across Span 1 of Huddersfield viaduct, reconfigured platforms and completed vital track and signalling upgrades, all of which will improve reliability and prepare the station for longer trains in the future. Huddersfield also saw the opening of a train maintenance centre at Hillhouse depot in October, a new £46 million facility built to keep trains running for customers across Yorkshire.
As it approaches the end of year with over 5,000 people at work, over 10,000 people now trained at its dedicated safety training centre, and just under 450 apprenticeships now filled on the programme, TRU is proving itself to be the foundation of great capability in the north.
James Richardson, managing director for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said: “This year has produced so many achievements and what we’re doing across the programme will not just improve journey times and reliability, but better connect towns and cities across the North.
TRU is a key enabler to unlock potential in our communities and support regional economic growth, and we are looking forwards to another successful year in 2026.”
Across the route:
- 40 miles of track was installed, supporting smooth and more reliable journeys
- 12,000 train services were sent via diversionary routes, following a £100 million investment, keeping customers on trains and on the move
- 30 miles of cable roughing was laid for signals, increase the reliability and frequency of services as the programme progresses
- 7,721 shifts were worked by our customer team, supporting passengers in getting to where they need to be
- £800 million was spent with local businesses, ensuring TRU leaves a long-lasting legacy
- 1,000 OLE foundations were constructed, facilitating electric trains along the route in the future
While many people wound down for the festive period, Team TRU was out on the railway making the most of the quieter period to keep progress moving. Engineers have been realigning tracks and installing new signalling equipment in Mirfield, continued with Huddersfield Station roof canopy restoration and commenced the demolition of Whitacre Street overbridge in Deighton.
Over on the East of the route, a 32-day closure is allowing teams to install and test 70 new signals, remodel and install over 3km of track and realign platforms 3 & 4 at Church Fenton station.
Image credit: Network Rail
