Initially, it was proposed to carry out the track renewal work between York and Copmanthorpe in an intensive programme during 2022. During the week on this busy stretch of main line, only eight hours each night can be made available to carry out work, so the compound was to be crucial to enable staff and materials to be in position quickly to make the best use of this short amount of time.
At 70 miles long, the size of the TRU project means we already have several teams in different places renewing track, introducing electrification and delivering innovative engineering solutions – all working on different pieces of the jigsaw which will fit together to build the full TRU picture. Each piece of the jigsaw remains crucial, but to complete the whole picture in the most efficient, most beneficial and least disruptive way we’ve re-evaluated our work east of Leeds, which now means putting those pieces down in a different order.
In West Yorkshire, we are now having to carry out preparatory work sooner in order to allow the tracks approaching Leeds Station from the east to be remodelled. This will also bring the additional benefits of accelerating the delivery of smoother, faster, more reliable journeys for passengers, and greater capacity and easier access to and from Neville Hill depot for the train operating companies.
Changing the order will now allow more time for the track renewal work between York and Copmanthorpe to take place, enabling the upgrades to be carried out at weekends when longer periods are available for us to work. This will enable us to efficiently transport our teams, materials and equipment from our new construction hub at Gascoigne Wood near Sherburn-in-Elmet within the time allowed, instead of having to house them in a compound next to the line at Dringhouses.
While we’re excited to be making real progress on the Transpennine Route Upgrade and delighted that we’re still able to deliver the completed package of major improvements within the same overall time frame, we’re sorry for the concerns that our previous plans caused to our lineside neighbours around Moor Lane. However, we hope you understand our reasons behind our new course of action and agree that the benefits this will have for local residents and passengers whilst the upgrade work is being carried out mean this is the right decision for everyone in the long term.
