TRU Engineers Progress Track and Signaling Improvements for Transpennine Route Upgrade
From Monday, April 22nd to Friday, May 17th, TRU engineers diligently worked during midweek line closures to advance track and signaling improvements as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. This effort is set to enhance train speed, efficiency, and reliability along the routes connecting Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York.
In this phase, over 3000 meters of new track were laid between Morley and Cottingley stations, and more than 13,000 meters of cables were installed for signaling enhancements. Additionally, five obsolete signal bases were removed, and improvements were made to the platforms at Morley station.
Through a cooperative effort with Network Rail, Northern, and TransPennine Express, alternative routes and replacement buses were provided to maintain passenger service during the upgrades.
Jonathan Hepton, Sponsor on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said: “I’d like to thank passengers traveling between Dewsbury and Leeds over the last four weeks for their understanding and support, after train services were affected to allow us to complete these upgrades.
“The improvements are part of a wider program that will enable greater capacity and improved accessibility at stations along the Transpennine route so that, ultimately, everybody can reap the benefits of quicker, more frequent, and greener trains across the North.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director at TransPennine Express, said: “The work done over these four weeks forms an integral part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will transform the journeys of our customers that travel between Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and Leeds. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience whilst engineers completed these major upgrade works.”
A subsequent four-week rail improvement session is scheduled for this summer in Morley. It will occur on weekdays and nights from Monday, June 24th to Friday, July 19th. Concurrent weekend works are planned between Marsden, Huddersfield, and Heaton Lodge during this time.
