The Secretary of State for Transport has approved a Transport and Works Act Order granting us permission to deliver a number of major elements of TRU between Leeds and Micklefield.
This Order gives us the powers to replace five level crossings with safer alternatives; raise, reconstruct or remove a number of bridges to enable electrification; and install some small-scale infrastructure. It also allows us to set up a number of temporary work compounds to help us carry out these essential improvements.
We’ve installed the first overhead electric lines as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade – the first step towards a cleaner, greener, fully electrified railway between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester.
During Christmas 2024, we replaced the railway bridge over Osmondthorpe Lane. The new, stronger structure will accommodate the new track position, which will allow faster and heavier trains to run.
We need to reconstruct Station Road bridge, which crosses over the line next to Cross Gates railway station.
The bridge is currently too low to accommodate the overhead line equipment which will be used to power electric trains on the route in the future.
The new ramped bridge will enable us to close Barrowby Lane level crossing and divert pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders over the railway line via a safer alternative just to the west of the existing crossing.
Dates of when we’ll be working in your area, and details of what we’ll be doing.
Dates of when we’ll be working in your area, and details of what we’ll be doing.
Between 26 May and 3 June 2024, the Transpennine Route Upgrade replaced the railway bridge deck over the A162 London Road at Barkston Ash.
The bridge, which was opened in 1869 by the North Eastern Railway, was approaching life expiry. Replacing it now with a stronger bridge deck ahead of the line’s electrification will enable more frequent, faster, heavier passenger and freight trains to run.
We are replacing three private railway crossings in the Church Fenton area – Rose Lane, Adamsons and Poulters – with a safer alternative.
In the UK’s first operation of its kind, three tunnel boring machines worked simultaneously side by side beneath the four-track line at Ulleskelf Mires in North Yorkshire to install three new drainage tunnels beneath the Transpennine main line.
We’re upgrading the route between York and Church Fenton to provide a more reliable and resilient railway for passengers.
Over Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2023, our teams successfully replaced a major set of track points at Holgate in York with the aid of the largest rail-mounted crane in the UK
The heavily-used track points, which allow trains from Holgate Sidings to re-join the main lines, are crossed over by 100 passenger and freight trains each day and renewing them will help ensure that trains arriving in York from Leeds run reliably.
We’ve upgraded the station, track and signalling system, including the opening of a new fully-accessible second platform.
This will boost the reliability of existing services, has increased capacity to allow the introduction of a new direct Castleford-York train service for the first time since 1970, and has enabled the use of the Castleford line as a crucial diversionary route to divert trains and keep passengers moving by train during our major upgrades on the main line between York and Leeds.
We’re investing around £100million in a project to construct a new rail depot in Shipley.
We’ve installed a brand new track connection in and out of Holbeck depot in Leeds, so that Northern’s train fleet can enter and exit the depot much more efficiently. This will assist reliability and create additional capacity on the line, enabling the line to be used as a key diversionary route to keep passengers moving by train during our major upgrades on the main line between York and Leeds, and Leeds and Huddersfield.
A disused rail facility in Wakefield has been given a new lease of life to provide temporary accommodation for trains, as work on the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade progresses.
We’ve taken huge step forward in improving productivity on TRU, by opening Gascoigne Wood logistics hub, that will support our project teams working in the area.
