Disruption for Huddersfield rail passengers as Transpennine Route Upgrade continues
We're being told to expect disruption between Huddersfield and Leeds in May
Disruption will be hitting Huddersfield’s rail network for the next few months as work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade continues.
Throughout May and June, Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) teams will take another huge step in a bid to deliver faster, more frequent trains on a greener railway across the North, through a series of engineering works between Huddersfield and Leeds. Services will be impacted by the upcoming works between now and June, with a full breakdown of all those affected further down the page.
From Saturday, May 2 until Monday, May 25, 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 aim to 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. More customers will be able to remain on trains through 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, May 30 to Saturday, June 27, 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.”
On the following dates, no trains will call at Huddersfield and Slaithwaite stations, with amended timetables in place and TransPennine Express services diverted via Brighouse:
Saturday 4 to Sunday, April 5
Saturday 11 to Sunday, April 12
Saturday 18 to Sunday, April 19
Saturday 25 to Sunday, April 26
Saturday 2 and Sunday, May 3
Saturday 9 and Sunday, May 10
Saturday 16 and Sunday, May 17
Saturday 23 May
Monday 25 May
On the following dates, there will be no trains departing Huddersfield towards Dewsbury, Leeds and Wakefield:
Monday 4 to Friday, May 8
Monday 11 to Friday, May 15
Monday 18 to Friday, May 22
Sunday 24 May
Saturday 30 & Sunday, May 31
Saturday 6 & Sunday, June 7
Saturday 13 & Sunday, June 14
Saturday 20 & Sunday, June 21
On the following dates, there will be no trains through Dewsbury. Amended timetables will be in place and services will be diverted between Huddersfield and Leeds via Wakefield Kirkgate:
Monday 1 to Friday, June 5
Monday 8 to Friday, June 12
Monday 15 to Friday, June 19
Monday 22 to Friday, June 26
Brighouse station car park will also be closed from Wednesday, April 29 until Tuesday, May 26 (inclusive) to facilitate bus replacement services to and from Huddersfield throughout this period.