The plans to deliver major upgrades to the station posed a challenge for the programme, having to navigate the difficulties involved in bringing what is a key transport hub for the North up to modern standards, whilst preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Grade I listed building.
Perhaps the most complex aspect of the Huddersfield station upgrade is the ongoing roof restoration work. One of the few remaining ‘Euston style’ roofs on the operational railway today, the trainshed canopy will be carefully preserved.
One year on, the sympathetic restoration of the roof canopy over platforms one and four is progressing well – scaffold towers and a raised working platform are currently in place at the station to enable the team to carry out this work.
The raised platform has been encapsulated and includes sound proofing measures to reduce disruption to train services, passengers and lineside neighbours.
Works to date include grit blasting to remove rust and old paint, steelwork repairs and painting at the Manchester end of the roof canopy. The roof coverings have now been removed in this location and needle-gunning is taking place to further clean the roof canopy. Grit blasting has concluded on the Leeds end of the enclosed roof canopy, with steel strengthening and repair now taking place on this section.
A new lantern structure will also be reinstated along the length of the roof to replicate the original which had been removed some time ago.
Another project that has been meticulously carried out within the historic station structure is the dismantling of the Grade II listed tearoom on the island platform – built in 1886 – ahead of its slight relocation.
Primarily consisting of timber match-boarded panels – making it one of the few remaining timber railway buildings still in use – it was recently taken down in 8,000 different pieces and is now being carefully stored before being reinstated on the remodelled platform.
The relocation of the tearoom was necessary to accommodate the station re-design, and its accessibility and prominence on the platform is to be enhanced by rotating it 180 degrees upon reinstatement.
Paul Sumner, TRU Senior Sponsor, said:
“We’re delighted with what the programme has achieved in this first year of work at Huddersfield station and are confident that we’re well on our way to delivering the upgrades the town deserves and the North needs.
“We remain committed to ensuring the station can serve the people of Huddersfield and beyond for years to come, whilst protecting its historic significance.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express, said:
“The work at Huddersfield really shows what TRU is all about, with major upgrades across the board, like the start of the restoration of the iconic roof canopy, but also with train operating companies, Network Rail and specialist contractors all working hand in hand to transform this historic station.
“We’d like to thank all the people that have played a part in the coming together of this massive project, and I couldn’t be more excited about the changes we will see happen over the years to come. These changes will truly benefit our customers and make our 177-year-old station ready for its next chapter.”
Given the scale of work being completed at the station, a new, purpose-built office compound was recently opened at the rear of the station site so the programme had a central working hub at what is a key location on the route.
The office facility has capacity for over 450 people across five floors and 26,000ft2 of space. Extra care has been taken to minimise the impact on the local community and environment; parking has been arranged off site with shuttle buses to the compound ensuring fewer vehicles on the nearby roads, all lighting runs on PIR sensors which turn off at night to minimise light pollution, and access barriers are solar powered to lessen noise pollution.
Just to the north of the station at Hillhouse, TRU will build a light maintenance depot and future freight site to replace the current station sidings.
The work includes the installation of five lines of track and welfare facilities, providing new and improved facilities so that staff can undertake the cleaning and maintenance of trains.
It will be a fully electrified facility, enabling better flexibility and growth for the railway with capacity to hold approximately 24 carriages. The depot is a key part of the TRU programme, supporting wider plans across West Yorkshire by also facilitating engineering trains that will be used to deliver upgrades elsewhere, as well as the storage of materials and fabrication of parts which can be loaded onto the engineering trains and taken to where they’re needed.
Upgrades to the station roof and tearoom coupled with the creation of HD1 and the Hillhouse depot will enable TRU to increase the number of railway lines and to reconstruct platforms, allowing more frequent, faster trains to run through Huddersfield on a greener, more reliable railway, better connecting the town to Manchester, Leeds, York and beyond.
