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Wednesday 15 Jun 2016

Manchester to Huddersfield passengers urged to plan Sunday journeys as railway upgrades continue

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Vital work to improve future train services between Manchester and Stalybridge will impact Sunday timetables between 19 June and 21 August, passengers were advised today.

In order to deliver key aspects of the Railway Upgrade Plan, Network Rail’s engineers need access to the tracks in the Stalybridge area.

 

Across 10 consecutive Sundays engineers will replace tracks and improve drainage across the route. They will also fit new cables near to Stalybridge tunnel, which will eventually connect to a new power supply for running electric trains.

 

At Stalybridge station, which is operated by TransPennine Express (TPE), alternations will be made to the roof canopies to make room for electric wires.

 

Nick Brown, of Network Rail’s Northern Programmes team, said: “We’re advising people planning trips on these Sundays to check before they travel, so they know what to expect.

 

“In some instances buses will replace trains while our engineers carry out vital railway upgrades, paving the way in future for faster, greener, more frequent and more regular services.

 

“We would ask people to view the short-term pain of amended timetables against the long-term gain of a better better-connected, more prosperous North of England.”

 

Northern services between Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield will be affected with buses replacing trains on these Sundays.

 

A spokesperson from TPE said: “We appreciate the inconvenience this will cause to customers but the work taking place is key to improving the railway.  The engineering upgrade will affect our Sunday services between Leeds and Manchester on our North route. Bus replacement services will be in operation between Huddersfield and Manchester Airport.

 

“We are asking customers to check before they travel and allow extra time when making their journeys.”

 

The Northern Programmes is a £1bn+ investment as part of Network Rail's Railway Upgrade Plan, which is improving and expanding the rail network to cater for a forecast doubling in demand for rail travel over the next two decades. It also supports wider economic growth in the north of England.