Rail passengers warned of disruption as work continues at two Kirklees stations
Work at Batley and Dewsbury stations is due to be finished by Friday
Kirklees rail passengers have been warned of disruption as work continues on two key stations.
Starting earlier this month, and running until this Friday (October 24) Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) teams are undertaking work at Batley and Dewsbury stations to prepare for platform extension work that will see them become 150m and 200m long respectively. These platform extensions will allow longer trains to stop at the stations in the future, with more seats for customers. Bridge reconstructions will also take place on this section of railway.
Track and drainage renewal work will also be undertaken during this time, which will allow faster, more reliable services to run.
Between Morley and Leeds, engineers will install foundations for overhead line equipment (OLE) masts. These masts will carry the electric wiring which will power greener, electrified trains across the North – 25 per cent of the Transpennine route is now electrified following the introduction of electric services between York and Church Fenton in August.
Joe Munro, TRU Customer Lead at Northern, said: “This next stage of work between Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Leeds is key to delivering an upgraded railway and unlocking benefits for our customers, not just at the impacted stations but across the route.
“While this work takes place, trains will be unable to run through Dewsbury station. To keep customers on trains as much as possible, we will divert our Wigan to Leeds services via Bradford Interchange, whilst rail replacement services will connect Huddersfield and Halifax to Dewsbury and Leeds, as well as local stations in between.
“We would recommend that our customers who normally travel on this route to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express, said: “It’s exciting to see the progress being made to improve the railway’s performance and capacity in West Yorkshire, while the next steps are also being taken in the electrification of the route.
“While these improvement works are carried out, we won’t be able to run trains on the line between Ravensthorpe and Leeds. To keep customers on trains as much as possible, we will divert trains between Huddersfield and Leeds via Wakefield, slightly increasing journey times. Rail replacement services will connect Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, and all local stations in between.
“Customers are advised to check before they travel using our digital channels and we’ll have extra staff on hand at key stations to help people get from A to B.”
When Huddersfield Railway Station was closed for a month, major remodelling work took place, along with strengthening works at the Huddersfield viaduct. In addition, the John William Street bridge – which makes up part of the viaduct – has been replaced, track renewed and signals upgraded in surrounding areas.
The blockade came to an end in the last week of September, and the station re-opened using half the number of platforms. The changes mean that trains will come and go from different platforms than before and some services will be replaced by rail replacement buses. Again, passengers have been advised to plan ahead and check their journeys on the National Rail website.