Friday 11 Apr 2025
Customers urged to plan ahead over Easter Weekend as Mirfield station upgrade continues
- Region & Route:
- Eastern
Customers are being advised to check before they travel due to essential TRU work on Easter Weekend (Saturday 19 April - Monday 21 April) between Huddersfield and Dewsbury, with services connecting Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York impacted.
To help keep customers moving, diversionary routes and rail replacement buses will be in operation, alongside revised train timetables.
Our TRU engineers will be carrying out track renewal work and signal testing across West Yorkshire, whilst significant progress continues on delivering improvements at Mirfield station.
The upgrades at Mirfield include the reconstruction of platforms which will allow the number of railway lines to increase from three to four, so more trains can run. Step-free access will also move closer, as preparation for a new, accessible footbridge with lifts will take place.
Following the Easter work, a new station entrance on Station Road will officially open, which will lead onto a new platform.
The scope of this work means disruption is expected in Mirfield, with Station Road closed to vehicles from 10pm on Thursday 17 April and to pedestrians from midnight on Friday 18 April. Before the station closes on Friday night and after it reopens on Tuesday morning, pedestrian access will be in place, including access to and from the station platforms.
Andrew Campbell, Sponsor for TRU, said:
“We’d strongly encourage anyone travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds or York this weekend to plan their journey ahead of time at nationalrail.co.uk, where they can find accurate information on how their journey is impacted and how they will be kept on the move.
“We’re taking a major step towards the upgrade of Mirfield station and delivering essential rail upgrades elsewhere on the route – this upcoming work also coincides with a series of weekend works that began on March 29 between Mossley and Dewsbury, which will continue until the weekend of May 8-9.
“Whilst we know there is no ideal time to complete disruptive work, both series of upgrades will play a pivotal role in unlocking the wider TRU benefits that will improve journeys across the North.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express, said:
“The works taking place during Easter weekend mark the next step in the transformation of Mirfield station, with a new station entrance on Station Road and the opening of the temporary platform 1.
“To accommodate this vital work, no trains will be able to run on the section between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. Most services on TPE’s North Route will run to an amended timetable, with rail replacement operation buses in place to ensure our customers can travel between Huddersfield and Dewsbury, Leeds and Wakefield.
“As part of our plans to keep customers on the move, TPE will pick up Northern’s stopping services between Leeds and York, with Northern boosting its services between Manchester and Leeds.
“Because of these changes, we urge customers to check before any travel during Easter. For those who plan to travel across the Pennines on these days, we’ll have extra colleagues at key stations to help where needed.”
Notes to Editors
Impacted services
Grand Central
Bradford Interchange <> London Kings Cross (via Brighouse)
These services will be diverted via Whitehall Junction. They will not call at Brighouse and Mirfield.
Northern
Huddersfield <> Bradford Interchange
On Saturday 19 April and Sunday 20 April, these services will not run.
On Monday 21 April, these services will run as normal.
Huddersfield <> Leeds (every two hours)
These services will not run.
Leeds <> York (via Micklefield)
To note: TransPennine Express will pick up these Northern services during Easter weekend.
Wigan Wallgate <> Leeds
These services will be diverted via Bradford Interchange and will not call at Brighouse, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Batley and Morley. Please note, these services do not run on Sundays.
TransPennine Express
Rail services
Huddersfield <> Leeds (local stopping service, every two hours)
These services will not run.
Leeds <> York (via Micklefield)
To note: TransPennine Express will pick up these Northern services during Easter weekend.
Liverpool Lime Street <> Hull
Services from Hull will start/terminate at Dewsbury. They will make additional calls at Batley, Morley and Cottingley.
Liverpool Lime Street <> Newcastle
These services will be split into two:
- Hourly services will run on the Saturday 19 and Monday 21 April between Liverpool Lime Street and Huddersfield, making additional calls at Lea Green and Stalybridge. On Sunday 20 April, services from Huddersfield will start/terminate Manchester Victoria instead of Liverpool Lime Street.
- Hourly services will run between Leeds and Newcastle.
Manchester Airport <> Redcar Central
- Hourly services will run between Dewsbury and Redcar Central, making additional calls at Batley, Morley, and Cottingley.
Manchester Piccadilly <> York
These services will be split into two:
- Hourly services will run between Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield. Please note: the peak time additional services will not run.
- Services from York start/terminate at Wakefield Kirkgate instead of Manchester Piccadilly.
Rail replacement bus services
Grand Central
Brighouse <> Wakefield Kirkgate
A rail replacement bus service will run between Brighouse and Wakefield Kirkgate as per the timetable, calling at Mirfield. The estimated journey time is 45 minutes.
Northern
Huddersfield <> Halifax
A rail replacement bus service will run hourly between Huddersfield and Halifax, calling at Brighouse. The estimated journey time is 35 minutes
Dewsbury <> Halifax
A rail replacement bus service will run hourly between Dewsbury and Halifax, calling at Mirfield and Brighouse. The estimated journey time is 45 minutes
TransPennine Express
Huddersfield <> Dewsbury (direct)
A rail replacement bus service will run hourly between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. The estimated journey time is 35 minutes
Huddersfield <> Leeds (direct)
A rail replacement bus service will run twice an hour between Huddersfield and Leeds. The estimated journey time is 50 minutes.
Huddersfield <> Manchester Airport (direct)
A rail replacement bus service will run directly between Huddersfield and Manchester Airport. The estimated journey time is 65 minutes.
Huddersfield <> Wakefield Kirkgate via Dewsbury
A rail replacement bus service will run hourly between Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirkgate, calling at Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury. The estimated journey time is 59 minutes.
-
Our workforce is local, with 80% employment from within a 40-mile radius of the route, and 60% employed from within a 25-mile radius.
- With a current workforce of around 5000 people, we expect to employ 8000 people over the length of the programme.
- The halfway mark of employing 590 apprentices has already been achieved, with 358 now working on TRU
- Improved natural environments near the railway through 10% biodiversity net gain across the route. This will create or enhance habitats for wildlife.
- The multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) will bring this line into the 21st century with 70-miles of fully electric, digital railway.
Our plans include:
- Electrifying the whole route between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and
Leeds
- Installing a new digital signalling system along the Transpennine route
- Doubling the number of tracks from two to four between Huddersfield and
Westtown in Dewsbury.
- Station improvements along the route to enhance customer experience, comfort
and accessibility
- Improving the railway on diversionary routes to allow more trains to run, helping
passengers and freight on the move while the core Transpennine route is closed to
deliver essential upgrades. This will provide capacity and reliability improvements
for the future too.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Ewan Bayliss
Communications Executive
Network Rail
ewan.bayliss@networkrail.co.uk
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