TRU sets new benchmark for sustainable delivery as electrification, skills investment and community impact accelerates
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has released its 2025 Sustainable Development Report, demonstrating a year of significant progress towards delivering a faster, greener, more reliable railway across the North, and leaving a long-lasting legacy in the communities it works in.
Guided by its sustainability strategy, Our Guiding Compass, the programme has embedded long-term thinking into every aspect of delivery, from carbon reduction and habitat creation to job growth, customer experience and community partnerships.
Alex Peters, Acting Head of Sustainability for TRU, reflects on the programme’s momentum:
“I’m really proud of the progress we’ve made in our sustainable development this year. This report demonstrates that TRU is doing far more than improving railway infrastructure – it’s making a real, positive difference in communities along our route and leaving a sustainable legacy.
“We’ve electrified lines, launched the TRU Community Fund, introduced our first sustainable composite sleepers and identified Biodiversity Net Gain on the ground. These are just a few milestones from across the programme and I’m excited by what’s to come, and the impact we will continue to make.”
The report summarises TRU progress from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, capturing achievements across all four pillars of TRU’s sustainability strategy: Northern Jobs, Enhanced Environment, Satisfied Customers and Working with Communities.
Key achievements include:
- Electrification completed between Manchester Victoria–Stalybridge and York–Church Fenton, meaning 25% of the route is now fully electrified
- 3,917 work experience days delivered for young people and adults
- 99 apprentices and 39 graduates recruited, including TRU’s leadership role in launching PlanBEE Rail, the UK’s first shared higher apprenticeship for the rail sector
- Introduction of 155 sustainable composite sleepers at Osmondthorpe Lane – reducing carbon by 70% per sleeper and winning the ICE Smeaton Award
- 98.9% of construction waste diverted from landfill
- Eight biodiversity gain sites in development, with the first 30-year habitat management commitment likely to be delivered at Fairfield station
- Launch of the TRU Community Fund, awarding over £150,000 to 27 groups in the last year, with a second fund currently underway
TRU is unlocking long-term economic growth by generating new employment and training pathways across the region. This year saw the second cohort of PlanBEE Rail apprentices begin their career in the industry, in a collaborative apprenticeship model involving Network Rail, Gateshead College, NSAR and 12 industry partners. Apprentices undertake four six-month placements at different employers, gaining multi-disciplinary experience while studying towards a Level 4 qualification.
Local supply chain investment also remains a core priority. 69% of non-core spend went to suppliers within 25 miles of the route, contributing to £706.5m in total local spending, while SME spending reached £323.4m. Partnerships with SMEs, such as COWAP, demonstrate how TRU is enabling significant regional business growth.
Work with schools also continued, with 14,550 young people engaged across 187 events that included STEM workshops, careers sessions, and inclusive programmes such as the Barnardo’s Young Carers initiative. Public art initiatives involving local pupils, including Routes to Roots at Ashton-under-Lyne and the Welbeck mural at Castleford, are also helping transform stations into vibrant community spaces.
TRU is poised for one of its most transformative years yet in 2026. With major upgrades continuing at pace along the 70-mile route, three more stations being completed and biodiversity delivery beginning on the ground, the programme will continue to accelerate benefits for passengers and communities across the North.