Leeds trains: Disruption expected for three weekends on Manchester line as part of Transpennine Route Upgrade
Passengers are being warned to expect major disruption to rail services between Leeds and Manchester from this weekend.
On the weekends of 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17 August, train services will be diverted or replaced by rail replacement buses between Stalybridge, Huddersfield and Dewsbury, as no trains will pass through Huddersfield.
The work is part of the ongoing multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) – a transformational programme of rail improvements that will bring faster, more frequent and more reliable services between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
.JPG?trim=48,0,49,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at Transpennine Express, said: “Engineers have made steady progress on the line in recent months and will continue to do so in August, delivering upgrades that not only increase the reliability of the railway now, but enable future upgrade works to be carried out as well.
“Whilst these works take place, Transpennine Express (TPE) won’t be able to run trains between Manchester and Leeds, with no services calling at Huddersfield. Rail replacement services will run to keep our customers moving across the Pennines.”
While these diversions are in place TPE will pick up Northern services between Manchester Victoria and Brighouse and between Leeds and York.
In turn this will allow for Northern to strengthen their services between Manchester Victoria and Leeds via the Calder Valley route, to help keep rail passengers moving.
The upgrade work will see:
- Almost 2km of track renewed, delivering smoother and more reliable journeys
- Overhead line equipment (OLE) foundations installed, supporting the electrification of the route
- Major structural enhancements to bridges across West Yorkshire, including the installation of a new bridge deck at Station Road bridge in Mirfield, using a 450ft crane