Train services on the TransPennine route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York will be disrupted over weekends throughout September and October.
The disruption is because of work in connection with the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), with no services between 23.00 on Friday until 0600 on Monday over the weekends of 22 to 25 September, 29 September to 2 October, 13 to 16 and 20 to 23 October.
To facilitate the work, Dark Lane and Mortgage holt level crossing in Saddleworth will be closed on those weekends. Diversions and signage will be in place for road users.
Work on these weekends will see new track beds created, new drainage systems installed, and about 650 metres of railway tracks relaid.
Ultimately, there will be four railway tracks instead of two as at present, which will allow faster trains and increase the overall reliability of services through the area.
During the disruption, some services will be diverted along alternative routes, while on others there will be rail replacement buses.
The effect on train services and rail replacement bus provision will be as follows:
Saturday Rail Services
Liverpool Lime Street-Newcastle
- Services will be diverted via the Calder Valley route between Dewsbury and Manchester Victoria and will not call at Huddersfield. Services will also call at Brighouse for customers travelling to Huddersfield, and at Lea Green.
Manchester Airport-Saltburn:
- Will only run between Manchester Victoria and Saltburn and will be diverted via the Calder Valley route between Dewsbury and Manchester Victoria, and will not call at Huddersfield. Services will stop at Brighouse for customers travelling to Huddersfield.
Manchester Piccadilly-York-Scarborough.
- A shuttle service will only run between York and Scarborough, with customers needing to change at York for onward connections.
Huddersfield-Manchester Piccadilly (local stopping service):
This service will run as normal
Leeds-Huddersfield (local stopping service):
This service will not run.
Saturday Rail replacement buses
Huddersfield-Brighouse:
- Direct buses will operate between Huddersfield and Brighouse. Approximate journey time: 15 minutes.
All stations from Leeds to Huddersfield:
- customers should use rail replacement bus services to Brighouse and change to rail services there.
Huddersfield-Mirfield:
- An hourly bus will run between Huddersfield and Mirfield calling at all Deighton. Approximate journey time: 20 minutes.
Huddersfield-Manchester Airport:
- An hourly bus service will run between these two stations, calling at Stockport. Approximate journey time: 80 minutes.
Late evening services between Huddersfield and Leeds:
- extra bus services will run calling at Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, Batley, Morley and Cottingley.
Sunday Rail Services
Liverpool Manchester-Victoria York:
- Hourly service from Liverpool Lime Street to York, diverted between Manchester Victoria and Dewsbury and not calling at Stalybridge or Huddersfield. For customers travelling to/from Huddersfield an additional stop will be made at Brighouse.
Huddersfield-Manchester Piccadilly: hourly service calling at Slaithwaite, Marsden, Greenfield, Mossley and Stalybridge.
Sunday Rail replacement buses
Huddersfield-Brighouse:
- Two direct bus services an hour between Huddersfield and Brighouse, with an approximate journey time of 15 minutes.
Customers travelling towards Leeds from Huddersfield
- should use rail replacement services to Brighouse and change there to rail services.
Huddersfield Leeds (all stops):
- A bus will run every hour calling at Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, Batley, Morley and Cottingley. Approximate journey time: 81 minutes.
Huddersfield-Manchester Airport:
- A bus will run every hour calling at Stockport. Approximate journey time: 80 minutes.
Gareth Hope, Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said “Between September and October, engineers will be working each weekend to upgrade the railway tracks. This work is a crucial component of our broader upgrades, not only allowing for faster train travel but also improving service reliability in the future. We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition during the upgrades, with diversionary routes and rail replacement buses in place to keep customer moving.”
“I d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the work takes place and remind customers to check www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or their respective train operators if traveling during this period.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: These improvement works are key to the overall modernisation of the railway that will be taking place as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will help deliver a faster and more sustainable service for our customers who travel between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
We d like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while this work take place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions on some routes and rail replacement buses on others, and we advise customers to check carefully before travelling. We ll have extra staff on hand at stations to help customers who are travelling on days affected by this work.
Responses
@Grahame – the info in the article is about as reliable as the rail replacement bud service. Total disgrace and not too different to the way the trains are operating.
Hi.
Having viewed a cab view from Stalybridge to Huddersfield, I was unable to find a level crossing on this section.
Where is Mortgage Holt LC and Dark Lane, please?
Found a Stockport Road public footpart near Mossley but no level crossings.