Member News Subjects

Car parking charge consultation extended and expanded

A review of car parking charges in Bishopthorpe Road, Micklegate and The Groves has been expanded to include Heworth. It follows receipt of a challenge from local traders and residents in the East Parade area about last year’s price increase. The entire consultation including all four areas will now run until 27 February 2026.  Arup – a global firm of designers, engineers, and consultants, who…

Published in - ,

Transpennine Route Upgrade lays the foundations for a better-connected North as NPR funding is confirmed

Today on a visit to Neville Hill Depot in Leeds the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, backed Northern Powerhouse Rail with £1.1bn over the Spending Review period, allowing progress on planning, development, and design work to be made which will unlock benefits for the people of the North from the 2030s. This reinforced the importance of continued investment in rail infrastructure across the…

Published in - , ,

TPE issues advice ahead of Storm Goretti

TransPennine Express (TPE) is advising customers that they cannot travel between Manchester and Sheffield from 6pm on Thursday 8 January until Saturday 10 January, as the railway line will be closed ahead of Storm Goretti, which is forecast to bring heavy snowfall across the North of England and Scotland. Passengers cannot travel between Manchester and…

Published in -

Team TRU delivers package of festive railway upgrades

Across the Christmas and New Year period, Team TRU worked around the clock to complete major improvements that will help deliver faster, greener and more frequent services with more seats across the Pennines. During this time, engineers made significant progress at key locations including Mirfield, Deighton and Huddersfield, while a closure of the line between…

Published in - , ,

Save up to 50% on journeys with TPE as half a million tickets go on sale

Half a million tickets for train journeys across the North of England are up for grabs with 50%-off the cost, TransPennine Express (TPE) has announced. The train operator has slashed the price of select Advance Purchase tickets as part of the nationwide Great British Rail Sale which starts today (Tuesday 6 January) and runs until…

Published in - , ,

Poetry in (Loco)motion – LNER Marks Landmark Year for Rail

As 2025 draws to a close, LNER is reflecting on a remarkable year for the rail industry by launching a specially commissioned poem to celebrate the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. We Will Carry You weaves together themes of connection, community and journeys. Written by Darlington poet Lizzie Lovejoy, the poem was commissioned…

Published in - ,

Transpennine Route Upgrade look back on 2025 as progress continues at pace

As the year draws to a close, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is marking another 12-months of strong progress, with major achievements delivered across the route, bringing customers closer to more frequent, faster and greener rail journeys between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. Across the 70 miles, significant headway has been made with the roll-out…

Published in - ,

TRU offer £250,000 in grants to local organisations

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has this week confirmed that £250,000 in grants has been awarded across 35 local organisations along the Transpennine route, as part of the 2025 TRU Community Fund in partnership with Neighbourly. Launched in 2024, the TRU Community Fund aims to help local community groups, schools and charities to create or…

Published in - , ,

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…

Published in - , ,

Car parking charges right to challenge consultation

An independent review of car parking charges has begun (today, Wednesday 17 December 2025) covering Bishopthorpe Road, Micklegate, and The Groves in York. Traders and residents in these areas have initiated a challenge to parking charges through The Right to Challenge Parking Policies Statutory Guidance under the Traffic Management Act 2004. This follows the authority’s decision to increase charges…

Published in - , ,

Accu celebrates major win at Northern International Trade Awards

Accu, a leading global distributor of engineering components, has been named International Company of the Year (£10m–£30m) at Insider’s Northern International Trade Awards, which celebrates the successes of the North West, North East and Yorkshire’s top exporters, importers and their supply chains. The prestigious award recognises Accu’s achievements in delivering an unrivalled service for the…

Published in - , , ,

Upgrade work in Deighton continues over Christmas period

From 22:15 on Wednesday 24 December until 05:30 on Sunday 27 December, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) team will undertake major engineering work in Deighton whilst trains aren’t running on the network. Whitacre Street overbridge will be demolished, whilst the A62 Leeds Road bridge will see the installation of pre-cast concrete parapets using a crane….

Published in - , ,

Ravensthorpe station closure: brand-new station to open in 2028

From Sunday 14 December, Ravensthorpe station will close until summer 2028 to facilitate Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) work on a new, modernised station 200m west of the current location. The new Ravensthorpe station will have a footbridge with lifts for step-free access, along with a new forecourt and drop-off facilities. A new, longer island platform…

Published in - , ,

All aboard for festive feasting as TPE unwraps its new seasonal menu

TransPennine Express (TPE) is spreading festive cheer on board this winter with the launch of its new seasonal dishes. The new offering with be available from Monday 1 December to Sunday 4 January across its First Class menus: TransPennine Kitchen- West Coast and Coast to Coast. The seasonal offering introduces a selection of locally sourced…

Published in - ,

Major improvements this Christmas at Mirfield station

Customers travelling over the Christmas period are being encouraged to plan ahead as significant upgrades continue across West Yorkshire to bring faster, more reliable and greener journeys. To allow these improvements to be completed, Mirfield station will be closed from Tuesday 23 December, reopening on Saturday 27 December. When it reopens, customers will benefit from…

Published in - , ,

Consultation launches on Rougier Route – a better way through York

Proposals to install a new bus priority route through central York have been unveiled today with a focus on making bus journeys more reliable, cutting bus journey times and creating a more people-focused environment in the heart of the city. Residents, businesses, visitors and commuters are encouraged to share their views in an eight-week consultation…

Published in - ,

Industry-leading safety training centre hits 10,000 visitors

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) TRUST centre, the first purpose-built rail safety centre of its kind in the North of England, has now surpassed 10,000 visitors. Launched in Huddersfield in 2023, the facility enables rail workers to experience real life safety-critical scenarios in a safe environment that offers a platform for discussion and an opportunity…

Published in - , , ,

TRU wins national award for considerate construction practices

The Transpennine Route Upgrade’s (TRU) West Alliance has won ‘The Most Outstanding Award’ from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) in their National Site Awards. The Alliance is undertaking major rail upgrades on sections of the Transpennine route between Manchester and Leeds. The award recognises their exceptional performance across the scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice, which…

Published in - , ,

Ravensthorpe station to be closed as new station is constructed

From Sunday 14 December until summer 2028, Ravensthorpe station will close as the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) build a new, modernised station 200m west of the current site. Rail replacement bus services between Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury stations will be in operation throughout the closure to keep customers on the move. The newly-built Ravensthorpe station will…

Published in - , ,

Upcoming works on Tadcaster Road/Copmanthorpe Link Road West

The council will soon be carrying out works to make improvements on Tadcaster Road, between the Askham Bog car park and Askham Bar Park and Ride. This will include updates to the traffic signals at the junction of Tadcaster Road / Copmanthorpe Link Road West between 22 October and 17 November and night-time resurfacing works…

Published in - , ,

Rail upgrade work between Leeds and York across Christmas and New Year period

Upgrade work along the route between Leeds and York will continue over the Christmas period and throughout January to help deliver a faster, greener and more reliable railway as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. Customers are being urged to plan their journeys ahead of time at nationalrail.co.uk or their train operator’s website, if travelling…

Published in - , ,

Christmas parking arrangements confirmed

In line with the council’s budget setting decision made in February 2025, parking charge rates for York’s Christmas Market are set to be implemented from 13 November. The changes will mean that while the Christmas Market is on, parking charges between Sunday and Thursday are lifted to the current rate for Fridays and Saturdays. This…

Published in - , ,

Upgrades underway for oldest in-situ cast-iron railway bridge in the world

Crawshaw Woods Bridge near Leeds is the oldest cast-iron railway bridge in the world to still be in use over a live railway, and last weekend (October 11-12), engineers carefully moved it as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade. A bespoke arched framework was constructed to support the 191-year-old Grade II listed structure, before…

Published in - ,

Halfway mark reached for TRU Community Fund applications

Strong interest has already been shown in this year’s Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) Community Fund, and local community groups, schools and charities are urged to apply now before applications close – or earlier if capacity is reached. With just 12 days remaining until the Monday 27 October deadline, the TRU Community Fund is offering £250,000…

Published in - , , ,

Planned essential maintenance works on Lendal Bridge head to decision session

Plans to carry out essential maintenance works on Lendal Bridge will be discussed at a decision session next week (21 October). These structural repairs are needed to protect the bridge so it can continue to be used for decades to come. The proposed works consist of urgent structural repairs, re-waterproofing the structure and resurfacing the…

Published in - , ,

Major improvements set for York’s Park and Ride

Overnight parking and a host of other improvements to York’s Park and Ride services will be considered at a meeting next week (7 October). The meeting follows a citywide consultation earlier this year around how government funding through the Bus Service Improvement Plan could be best spent on the Park and Ride. Proposed improvements include:…

Published in - , ,

Transpennine Route Upgrade prepares for major upgrades between Dewsbury and York

Customers are being urged to check before they travel as work between Dewsbury and York throughout October and November means there will be changes to services. The closures of the railway are in place to facilitate essential work as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade. From Monday 6 October until Friday 24 October (excluding…

Published in - ,

First passenger train pulls into Huddersfield station following 30 days of major upgrades

This morning, the first passenger train arrived at the newly rebuilt platforms at Huddersfield Station, marking a major milestone in Phase One of the station upgrades. This achievement takes customers one step closer to faster, cleaner, more reliable trains across the North. Over the past month, our TRU West Alliance has been working around the…

Published in - , , ,

Beware QR codes in Council car parks and texted parking fines

City of York Council is warning drivers to stay vigilant after its car parks were targeted by a fake QR code parking scam and as a wider parking ticket scam hits the country. A widespread parking scam involving fake Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) has targeted people across the country in recent weeks. Scammers send text…

Published in - , ,

Huddersfield station set to reopen next week with new temporary layout

Huddersfield station will reopen on Monday 29 September with three rebuilt and extended platforms under new numbering, marking an important step in the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). From this date, only platforms 1, 2 and 3 will be in use, meaning trains will run to and from different platforms than before and some services will…

Published in - , ,

TRU launches second round of Community Fund with £250,000 for local communities

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is launching the second round of its Community Fund, offering £250,000 to support local community groups, schools and charities along its major railway route. Building on the success of last year’s scheme, the TRU Community Fund will provide grants of £1,000, £5,000, £10,000 or £20,000 to organisations within five miles…

Published in - , , , ,

Permanent 20mph measures for Bishopthorpe approved

A number of 20mph measures which have been trialled in Bishopthorpe over the past year will now be made permanent. At a public meeting yesterday (16 September) the council’s Executive Member for Transport agreed to a 20mph speed limit covering most of the village of Bishopthorpe being made permanent, and other areas of the city could follow…

Published in -

Batley station car park to temporarily close as part of major rail upgrade

Batley station car park will close from 22 September until Summer 2026 to facilitate major upgrade work as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). The temporary closure will enable essential piling works to take place to build a new accessible station footbridge with lifts. Work will also start to refurbish and extend the…

Published in - , ,

‘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…

Published in - , ,

Resurfacing works set to take place on Hull Road

City of York Council will be carrying out essential resurfacing works on A1079 Hull Road between Tang Hall Lane and the Grimston Bar roundabout. Works will start on Monday 15 September and are expected to last until Tuesday 21 October weather permitting. No weekend working will be required and the road will be open at…

Published in - , ,

Upcoming changes as Station Gateway project progresses

The area around York Station will see a number of key changes in the coming weeks as the Station Gateway project progresses. Recent work on the project has seen the realignment of traffic on Queen Street and the opening of large areas of public space, as well as less visible work such as drainage and…

Published in - , ,

TPE welcomes new finance director

TransPennine Express (TPE) has announced the addition of Manchester-born Fiona Roberts as is new finance director. Fiona, from Boothstown, brings a wealth of experience to the role, having led major finance transformation programmes in fast-moving and complex organisations. She also has direct industry experience, having spent six years at Network Rail, with three years as…

Published in - , ,

Huddersfield station: its heritage and its future

On 6th October 1846, a public bank holiday was declared as the Earl of Fitzwilliam laid Huddersfield station’s foundation stone. Last Saturday (30 August), nearly 180 years on from that momentous day, the station closed for 30 days of intense work, as its grandest transformation in a generation is undertaken as part of the Transpennine Route…

Published in - ,

Catch the Bus Month arrives in York with free bus travel on offer

Catch the Bus Month starts this week and City of York Council and BetterPoints are offering free bus tickets plus quadruple reward points for people using the app during September. Over the next few weeks, City of York Council will be celebrating the bus network in York, which includes six operators delivering more than 40…

Published in - , ,

LNER boost services for Great North Run

LNER is planning to operate an additional five trains ahead of this year’s Great North Run. The extra services will provide thousands more seats to help runners and spectators arriving for the popular half marathon, which remains a firm favourite on the sporting calendar. The additional trains are planned to run on the morning of…

Published in - , ,

York deepening partnership with Lviv, Ukraine, with a focus on economic development and strategic collaboration

Following a high-level meeting between York City Council and Ukrainian representatives, both cities have identified key areas where shared expertise can bring mutual support.  Council Leader Cllr Claire Douglas recently welcomed Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and other Ukrainian delegates to discuss opportunities for joint initiatives. The meeting highlighted York’s strengths in transport, civil engineering, and links…

Published in - , , ,

TRU wraps up seven consecutive weekends of upgrade work

On Sunday (August 17), engineers completed a series of railway upgrades between Manchester, Huddersfield and Leeds following seven consecutive weekends of work, as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade. The work included major structural enhancements to bridges across West Yorkshire with progress made on the reconstruction of the A62 Leeds Road bridge in Deighton…

Published in - , ,

Expect Distribution joins West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Expect Distribution is proud to announce our recent membership with the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to regional business growth and economic collaboration across Yorkshire. As a recognised leader in logistics and supply chain solutions, becoming part of this influential network marks an exciting new chapter for our organisation….

Published in - , ,

TPE customers set to be kept on the move during major TRU work thanks to upgraded Huddersfield diversionary route

TransPennine Express (TPE) will increase the number of services on a key diversionary route between Manchester and Leeds to three trains per hour from last weekend, keeping passengers moving while the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) continues to transform the railway. The uplift in services on the Calder Valley route, between Manchester Victoria and Mirfield via…

Published in - , ,

TPE adds more services to support national Armed Forces celebrations in Cleethorpes this weekend

TransPennine Express (TPE) will be running extra services and providing more seats this weekend to support customers travelling to Cleethorpes for Armed Forces Day. The popular three-day event, recently chosen as the national celebration, will take place from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 June and is expected to draw large crowds to the coastal town,…

Published in - , , ,

TPE launches TransPennine Kitchen: A First Class feast from coast to coast

First Class TransPennine Express (TPE) customers can now tuck into a tasty new menu while travelling between Liverpool and Newcastle. The new service, TransPennine Kitchen: Coast to Coast combines locally sourced, mouthwatering dishes with exceptional hospitality. Building on the success of TPE’s popular West Coast Kitchen service on its routes between the North West of…

Published in - ,

Upcoming changes around York Station as Station Gateway project progresses

In the coming weeks, people will notice a lot of changes to the area to the front of York Station as progress on the Station Gateway project continues. The new image reveals paving that will form the new public spaces in the area where Queen Street Bridge used to be, as well as give a…

Published in - , ,

One year on – Our AA fleet celebrates HVO truck trial progress

As part of our award-winning, innovative “test and scale” approach to fleet decarbonisation, we have expanded our trial of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) from three to 15 vehicles. This allows us to further evaluate the viability of this alternative fuel in dealing with roadside recovery demands in real-world settings. If this trial extension proves successful,…

Published in - , ,