Transpennine Route Upgrade: Train operator warns passengers of major track upgrades over next months

Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has issued a reminder to passengers travelling between Manchester, Leeds, Huddersfield and York to plan their journeys ahead of time, as major track upgrades will be taking place over the weekends in September and October.

For the duration, engineers will be working on the multi-billion-pound project to excavate ballast, or railway stone, to create a new track bed and replace around 650 meters of railway tracks as well as install new drainage systems.

When completed, the works will allow trains to travel at higher speeds and enhance the overall reliability of services passing through the area in the future, as the number of tracks will double from two to four.

While the work is carried out, passengers will be able to travel the route through a combination of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses.

Gareth Hope, Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said "Between September and October, engineers will be working each weekend to upgrade the railway tracks. 

“This work is a crucial component of our broader upgrades, not only allowing for faster train travel but also improving service reliability in the future. 

We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition during the upgrades, with diversionary routes and rail replacement buses in place to keep customer moving." 

He added that customers travelling during the works should check the National Rail Enquiries website or contact their train operators for the latest updates on their travels.

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.”