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Thursday 21 Mar 2024

Passengers urged to check before they travel with 10 days of major rail upgrades around Huddersfield ahead

Region & Route:

Eastern

Rail services through the Huddersfield station area will be affected as engineering works are carried out from Friday 29 March to Sunday 7 April, with passengers kept on the move via diversionary routes and rail replacement buses. 

The work is part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) railway programme that will transform journeys across the North of England, bringing customers more frequent and faster trains, running on a cleaner, greener and more reliable railway between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. 

These key upgrades include the start of roof canopy work at Huddersfield station, mining remediation work in Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield, the installation of a new bridge deck on Huddersfield viaduct (over the A641 Bradford Road) and track renewals in the Deighton and Mirfield area. 

Huddersfield station’s status as a Grade I listed building means that great care is being taken in preserving the rich heritage of the site. The TRU team will prepare for the restoration of the iconic roof – one of the few remaining ‘Euston roof’ examples still on the railway today – so that the station gets a deserved makeover without harming its cultural importance. 

This will be carried out alongside the ongoing works on the station’s tearooms, which will be dismantled and rebuilt in an altered location using the same materials once other work has been completed. 

Paul Sumner, Senior Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said:  

“Our teams will be working around the clock to deliver this vital series of upgrades. The revamp of Huddersfield station and the rail works in the surrounding areas form a pivotal part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. 

“I’d like to thank customers for their continued support and remind everyone that services changes will be in place, so to please check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.” 

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: 

“These improvement works are 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 takes place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions on some routes and rail replacement buses on others, and we advise customers 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.” 

Due to the nature of the work being completed along the route, the change in services will differ throughout the ten-day period, with limited to no access to Huddersfield station on most days.  

Amended timetables will be in operation, with some services being diverted between Manchester Victoria and Leeds, and some being replaced by buses. An extensive rail replacement operation will be in place out of Huddersfield station to keep passengers on the move. 

There will be different timetables in place for the following dates: 

• Good Friday 29 & Saturday 30 March 
• Easter Sunday 31 March 
• Easter Monday 1 April 
• Tuesday 2 April until Friday 5 April 
• Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 April 

For detailed timetable information for each of these dates, please visit www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or your train operator website, where you’ll be able to plan your journey.