‘Giant’ strides: halfway mark reached in Huddersfield station closure

Two strong teams have come together to mark the halfway point of 30 days of intense rail upgrade works that will give passengers better journeys, with players from Rugby League side Huddersfield Giants joining TRU as the midway point of activity has been reached.

Representatives from the Super League club handed over a signed ball on Wednesday (10 September), recognising the scale of work already completed as engineers work around the clock until the end of September to build extra tracks and new platforms, which will speed up journey times so more trains can carry more passengers in the future.

Former Rugby League player and current Commercial Manager at Huddersfield Giants, Brian Blacker, was joined by Giants talents Jack Billington and Connor Carr. Brian said:

“It was fantastic to see first-hand the strides being taken in what they’re delivering in our town. Rugby League fans will be able to rely on better services, and we’re delighted to have presented their hard-working teams with a signed ball.”

With a giant crane towering over the centre of the town, the middle of Huddersfield is currently a hive of activity with an army of people working night and day. The first two weeks of the 30-day closure have seen significant improvements carried out on John William Street bridge, with two new bridge decks now installed as part of strengthening upgrades to Huddersfield viaduct, which will allow for additional tracks and overhead line equipment (OLE) installation in the future.

Inside the station, platforms 1 & 2 have been demolished as part of the platform and track remodelling works which will see them lengthened, enabling longer trains with more seats to stop at the station.

Across the wider route, new track, drainage and signals have also been installed taking customers a step closer to more frequent and more reliable services across the North.

Since the closure began, engineers have:

• Excavated over 13,000 tonnes of soil
• Installed 1.7km of new rail and 2,517 sleepers
• Laid more than 6,200 tonnes of ballast and stone
• Completed 3.9km of tamping to improve track stability

Paul Sumner, TRU senior sponsor, said:

“We’ve made great progress in the first half of the 30-day closure, with major works that have been in planning for a while now coming to life. These activities take us a step closer to Huddersfield station serving as a vital hub for a new era of rail travel across the Pennines, which is a major boost for the economy locally and regionally.

“A big thanks to our local businesses, residents and customers as we undertake these vital upgrades, and it has been great to have the support from our neighbours Huddersfield Giants.” 

While the work takes place, customers have been kept on the move thanks to close collaboration between Network Rail, Northern and TransPennine Express. Diversionary routes and rail replacement bus services are running, with Brighouse temporarily transformed into a Rail-Bus interchange where colleagues from across the rail industry have been supporting people on their journeys.

TRU has invested £100m in diversionary routes across the programme footprint to improve their resilience for when the main line is closed.

Customers are advised to plan their journey ahead of time via www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk.