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Thursday 27 Feb 2025

On track to a bright future: Rail Minister marks TRU visit with time capsule

Region & Route:

Eastern

Today (February 27), TRU welcomed Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy to Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, to see the progress being made in transforming train travel in the north of England on the Transpennine Route Upgrade. 

Lord Hendy was joined by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, to visit the sites and joined local schoolchildren and TRU apprentices who placed a time capsule in Ravensthorpe, to mark TRU’s success so far and commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when Britain and the world changed forever.  

Ravensthorpe is home to one of the biggest civil-engineering sites in the country, where a new viaduct and fly-over will allow faster trains to overtake slower ones and the relocation of the station. This enables the number of tracks to be doubled from two to four, so journeys across the Pennines have faster services and increased capacity. 

The Huddersfield station upgrade is another major project, helping achieve many of the wider benefits TRU will deliver. Work at the Grade 1 listed station is well underway as facilities are modernised, whilst protecting its historical and cultural importance. 

 

James Richardson, TRU Managing Director, said: 

“The work undertaken in Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield is key to unlocking faster trains and more services with more seats for passengers, plus increased freight movements. 

“I’m delighted Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and Mayor Tracy Brabin have been able to see for themselves the progress being by Team TRU, as we edge closer to transforming rail journeys helping to enable the north to achieve its true economic potential.” 

The time capsule is the first on TRU and will sit under the foundations of the new viaduct, and be in place for hundreds of years. 

Items stored include a letter to the finder, a rail ticket from Manchester to York, a dated local newspaper, and schoolchildren’s designs for how the railway will look like 200 years from now. 

 

Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister, said:  

“We are upgrading rail links across the north - slashing journey times and investing in frequent, greener, and more reliable services between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.  

“Ravensthorpe is one of several new stations which will have better facilities and improved accessibility. Transforming transport links is key to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education, and businesses in our communities, including Ravensthorpe, whose new station alone is supporting the delivery of 4,000 new homes.” 

 

 

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: 

"Having better transport across the north is imperative to growth. 

 "No matter where you're going or where you're coming from, you should be able to get on a train that's on time and can get you there quickly and reliably. 

 "That's why the work we've seen today is so important, to connect both sides of the Pennines and get people to where they need to be. 

“This is the biggest infrastructure project underway in the North of England and it’s great to hear how it’s being delivered on time and on budget.” 

 

The majority of projects on TRU are now in design and delivery with significant upgrades beginning to come into fruition. Already, electric services are running between Manchester and Stalybridge, and some electric services are due to begin running between Church Fenton and York later this year. 

With new trains, more services and more seats – capacity up by one third – improved connectivity between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York will leave a lasting social and economic impact on the North. 

TRU currently has a workforce of 5000 people and aims to provide 8000 roles in its lifetime. 

At least 60% of the project workforce are employed from within 25 miles of the route and 80% within 40 miles. A minimum 25% of the project supply chain spend will be with businesses within 25 miles of the route, and a minimum of 33% with small to medium sized enterprises, micro businesses, and voluntary sector organisations. So far over £500M has been spent with SMEs.