Project aims to improve journeys between journeys between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has celebrated “strong progress” in 2025, its managers say.
The multi-billion-pound scheme is set to better connect the north and deliver more frequent, faster and greener rail journeys between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. With 2025 all wrapped up, TRU has looked back on the progress made in the past year and says this continues “at pace”.
One highlight was Huddersfield Railway Station’s 30-day closure in September. Working around the clock, engineers installed new bridge beams across Span 1 of Huddersfield viaduct, reconfigured platforms and completed vital track and signalling upgrades, in a bid to improve reliability and prepare the station for longer trains in the future.
The station itself is one of those undergoing a refurbishment. This comes with a £70m price tag and is set to be completed in early 2027, with the end result seeing longer platforms, a new layout, new footbridge and refurbished roof structure with restored lantern. Works to electrify the line will continue beyond this date.
Huddersfield has also seen the opening of a train maintenance centre at Hillhouse depot in October. This new £46m facility was built to keep trains running for customers across Yorkshire.
James Richardson, managing director for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said: “This year has produced so many achievements and what we’re doing across the programme will not just improve journey times and reliability, but better connect towns and cities across the North.
“TRU is a key enabler to unlock potential in our communities and support regional economic growth, and we are looking forward to another successful year in 2026.”
The end of the year concluded with over 5,000 people at work on the TRU, over 10,000 people now trained at its dedicated safety training centre and just under 450 apprenticeships now filled on the programme.
Across the wider 70 mile route, significant headway has been made with the roll-out of electrical overhead lines which are designed to support greener, cleaner rail travel and help to modernise services for the long term.
In August, the scheme celebrated a key milestone as 25 per cent of the route was electrified between York and Church Fenton, joining Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge as electrified sections on TRU.
