Rail bosses issue update on huge transpennine rail upgrade
An update has been given
Plans have been submitted to help move staff working on the multi-million-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) into Huddersfield.
The £11.5bn scheme is set to better connect the north and deliver more frequent, faster and greener rail journeys between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
Progress on the project has continued over 2025 “at pace” according to TRU’s Managing Director, James Richardson, with the latest applications submitted earlier this week (June 30) to build a temporary car park for staff working on the project.
Because the construction works are so vast, Network Rail needs strategically placed bases along the route, with the latest being a 200-space car park for contractors and engineering staff.
The planning application, based at Flint Street, also involves the erection of a temporary single-storey office/induction building and several EV charging stations.
The application is conditional, meaning that Network Rail must follow a strict set of conditions before, during, and after construction – including leaving the temporary site on time.
Work on the town’s Grade-I Listed railway station began in late 2023, with this part of the TRU coming at a cost of £70m.
Once this is completed, the station will boast longer platforms, a new layout, a new footbridge and a refurbished roof structure with a restored lantern.