Transpennine Route Upgrade sees first electric wires installed for Greater Manchester

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Transpennine Route Upgrade sees first electric wires installed for Greater Manchester

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overhead cables
overhead cables // Credit: Network Rail

Part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade the installation of the electric wires marks the first stage in local services between Manchester and moving to fully electric service. The project aims to complete by the middle of the decade and will provide improved, environmentally friendly trains which are more reliable for passengers in the area.

The project will eventually see electric wires stretch all the way from Manchester Victoria to York including and Leads. Once complete, will see one of the country’s vital travel corridors brought up to date with 70 miles of fully electric, digital railway and making it fit for the future.

The installation of the overhead electric wires makes a key stage in the vast project and will see services improved between Manchester and Stalybridge. In order to carry out significant upgrades to tracks and infrastructure safely and efficiently, Stalybridge station will see a 26 days closure during March 2023.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade is the largest investment for the route since the 1870s and will transform journeys in the North and will enable more trains to operate between Manchester, Huddersfield, and York, creating increased capacity.

Installation of Electric Wires
Installation of Electric Wires // Credit: Network Rail

Hannah Lomas, Principal Programme Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said:

“Once complete, the Transpennine Route Upgrade will transform travel in the North of England, reducing our carbon footprint by 87,000 tonnes of emissions each year, and providing a route that passengers can rely on.

“The installation of the very first Transpennine Route Upgrade electric wires in Greater Manchester is a major step toward a future of faster, greener and more reliable travel between Manchester and Stalybridge.”

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  1. It’s good news to see this very welcome trans Pennine electrification upgrade finally taking place. It’s a bit ironic, though, that a state-of-the art electrified route across the Pennines (the Woodhead route) was in operation in the 1950s, including a newly built tunnel, but was scrapped and the route completely closed and abandoned in the 1960s under British Rail’s “rationalisation” programme.

    1. In no way could Woodhed have been described as, ‘state-of-the art’: it was built to a system regarded as standard before WWII. and was basically a 1930s scheme resumed in the 1950s which remained an isolated and underutilised anachronism from its completion. Closure came 1n 1981, eleven years after its passenger service was withdrawn in pursuit of a rational, integrated system and whilst the parallel Hope Valley route upon which the Sheffield-Manchester service was concentrated thereafter had certain limitations, the use of Midland Station as opposed to Victoria at Sheffield more than made up for the inconvenience of the walk between the two.

    2. As the shortest route between Sheffield and Manchester, and running parallel with the grossly-overcrowded A628 Woodhead pass, it ought to be a prime candidate for reopening.

  2. That’s wonderful. Which means Northern can use Class 769, Class 323 and Class 319 to Stalybridge and Transpennine Express Class 802 Nova 1. Also I do think that Network Rail should replace the ageing OHL on the Manchester Piccadilly-Gosslop and Hadfield lines.

    And to continue with the electrification in Northern England especially between Leeds-York, Leeds-Harrogate-York and other routes that is planned for electrification.

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