50,000 tonnes of ballast, 11.5km of track, 5,515 sleepers: the numbers behind TRU’s next series of major upgrades
Throughout May and June, Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) teams will take another huge step in delivering faster, more frequent trains on a greener railway across the North, through a series of engineering works between Huddersfield and Leeds.
From Saturday 2 May until Monday 25 May, 56 engineering trains will be deployed along this stretch of railway as 6.2km of track is renewed and over 21,000 tonnes of ballast is laid. These upgrades will help deliver smoother, more reliable journeys for customers travelling along the 70-mile route.
51 foundation bases will also be installed, which will support overhead line equipment (OLE) and electrify journeys in the future.
Brighouse station will be used as a rail and bus interchange location during this period, allowing more customers to remain on trains by taking advantage of the diversionary routes which TRU has invested £100m in. Other rail services will run as close as possible to the closure areas, with replacement buses in operation to keep customers moving.
From Saturday 30 May to Saturday 27 June, a final phase of upgrade works across Batley and Dewsbury will be delivered. Once completed, and following the final commissioning of the new lifts, Batley station will reopen and provide customers with step-free access for the first time, alongside improved customer facilities. The platforms will be extended to 150 metres.
Dewsbury will reopen with platforms extended to 200 metres, enabling longer, higher-capacity trains with more seats to serve the stations in the future.
This phase of work will see 66 engineering trains deployed to deliver over 5km of track renewals, including laying over 27,000 tonnes of ballast and around 800m of drainage, while the installation of 67 OLE masts will support the electrification of the line.
The TRU team will also take to Huddersfield station on weekends during this two-month period. Platform remodelling, subway excavations and the construction of both a new staircase and footbridge will be undertaken, while work on the historic ‘Euston style’ roof will also see the canopy extended further. These upgrades form a critical part of the transformation of the station, which will be fully complete in early 2027.
On weekdays, customers will be kept moving between Huddersfield and Leeds via the Wakefield diversionary route. At weekends, trains will run as close as possible to the closure area and replacement buses will run between Huddersfield and Leeds.
Customers are urged to check their journey in advance at nationalrail.co.uk, or with their train operator. Journey times will change, and some customers may need to use rail replacement buses for all or part of their trip.
Sophie Leishman, TRU sponsor, said:
“Significant progress has been made between Huddersfield and Leeds in recent months, and this next series of upgrades will allow us to take another step forward in what is a key stretch of the route and an important enabler for wider TRU plans across the North.
“Our teams will be working around the clock during these two months. I’d like to thank them as well our local communities as we deliver these huge improvements to the railway.”
Andrew Allwright, TRU Programme Delivery Lead for Northern, said:
“We know there is no ideal time to close parts of the railway, and the team is grateful to customers for their patience whilst we complete the next phase of upgrades. These are significant pieces of work which will support wider improvements – customers can look forward to smoother and more reliable journeys, longer platforms and step-free access for the first time at Batley.”
Joe Munro, TRU Joint-Lead for Customer Delivery for Northern, said:
“Customers should check their journey before they travel and allow extra time for their journey. Our plans have been designed to keep customers on trains wherever possible, and teams will be on hand to support customers during this time.”