Network Rail has completed a major track and signalling upgrade around Manchester Victoria as part of upgrading the Transpennine route.

The improvements bring a more modern, reliable railway for passengers, and will provide additional capacity to enable more trains to run in the future.

Further work to renew track in the Manchester area is planned every Sunday between 9 January and 6 February, which will mean some changes to services. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check their journey via National Rail Enquiries.

Across seven days from Saturday, 25 December 2021 until Monday, 3 January 2022, over 100 railway workers installed four new sections of track components, installed two sections of new electric wiring, and upgraded signalling equipment near Manchester Victoria station.

The work is part of the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade. That will bring faster, more reliable services for passengers travelling between York, Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a multi-billion pound long-term railway infrastructure programme that will improve connectivity in the North, support economic growth, and deliver real benefits for passengers and communities along this pivotal rail artery. The work is part of preparations to eventually electrify and re-signal the railway and renew the track between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, via Ashton.

Neil Holm, Transpennine Route Upgrade Director for Network Rail, said: “We’re making real progress in delivering better, more enjoyable rail journeys for those travelling in Manchester. The work we’ve completed over Christmas will allow us to run more and faster trains in the future as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

“We’ll need to continue upgrading the railway in and around Manchester throughout 2022 to complete a package of benefits aimed at improving passenger’s experience. I’d like to thank people for their patience as we continue to deliver a better railway for the north of England.”