The Transpennine Route Upgrade is a major, multi-billion pound programme of improvements. It will bring more frequent, faster, greener trains between York, Leeds and Manchester on a better, cleaner, more reliable railway.
To enable this to happen, we are proposing a number of changes between Leeds and Micklefield. This includes permanently closing the Garforth Moor and Highroyds Woods Level Crossings. Our changes will enable the speed and frequency of trains to be safely increased.
Both of these crossings have already been closed on safety grounds, but we are proposing to submit a Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) application to permanently remove them and divert or extinguish the Public Rights of Way across them.
We carried out a public consultations to share our proposals to permanently close the Garforth Moor and Highroyds Woods Level Crossings with the local community and hear their feedback on our plans between 13 March and 11 April 2023.
You can still view our proposals below, although comments can no longer be left.
We are proposing to permanently extinguish the Public Right of Way and Vehicular Rights across the level crossing.
The level crossing is currently closed on safety grounds so is not available for public or vehicle use.
The visibility at the crossing from both sides of the line, when looking towards Garforth station, is not adequate, meaning users could not safely cross.
A high number of the historical level crossing users were also classed as vulnerable. Level crossing users were reliant on whistle boards, requiring train drivers to sound train horns, and this is not considered safe for vulnerable users.
The crossing will become more unsafe once the Transpennine Route Upgrade benefits of faster, quieter and more frequent trains are delivered.
We are also proposing to acquire rights on the north side of the line to allow access to the car park for allotment holders.
If granted, the Order will give Network Rail the rights to permanently stop up the Public Right of Way between points A and B (shown in red on the plan below).
Under the current proposals, pedestrians will be diverted north along Barwick Road, crossing under the railway via Barwick Road Bridge (Bridge HUL4/19), before heading east and connecting into footpath Garforth 7A, which continues for approximately 92 metres, before becoming footpath Garforth 7.
If granted, the Order will give Network Rail the rights to permanently acquire land, and/or rights, for an access track from Barwick Road to the Garforth Bank Row Allotments (see points D to C on the plan below).
These rights will allow Leeds City Council (as landowner) and its tenants, the allotment holders, access to the allotments adjoining the north side of the railway and the intended car park, located just north of the allotments.
We are proposing to permanently extinguish the Public Right of Way across the level crossing
The level crossing is currently closed on safety grounds so is not presently accessible for public use.
Highroyds Wood Level Crossing needs to be closed permanently as it is currently unsafe for users and will become more unsafe once the Transpennine Route Upgrade benefits of faster, quieter and more frequent trains are delivered.
Trains waiting to go into Micklefield (by joining the Church Fenton to Micklefield line, which is the major line) regularly stand over the crossing or stand a few metres on the Micklefield side of the crossing, meaning it cannot be used at all or used safely. When trains are stood waiting to join the major line, users on the south side of the crossing have no sighting looking towards Micklefield, because the train blocks their view.
The crossing is also pedestrian only, but there is evidence of misuse by motorbikes and pedal cycles.
We are proposing to divert the Public Right of Way underneath the line, via an existing underpass
The footpath will be diverted east, via a new path (see points A to E shown in blue on the plan below) to an existing railway underpass (point D).
The proposed new footpath crosses the local authority boundary into North Yorkshire County Council and Selby District Council’s area and links into public footpath Huddlestone with Newthorpe No 35.39/2/1.
Some works will be needed to construct the new section of footpath, but these do not form part of the consenting mechanism that will be used for the closure. These works include:
A Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) is required to deliver the elements of the Transpennine Route Upgrade we are consulting on here. This is a piece of legislation approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, granting permission to carry out the work.
Following the consultation process, we will consider all the feedback received before we submit our Transport and Works Act Order application in Summer 2023.
Over the coming years we will be making further improvements too, and the works presented here do not represent the entirety of the upgrade between Leeds and Micklefield.
