Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[GhostManDN91]

So can trains run at 125mph now between Church Fenton and York or is it still 100mph until the ECML joins up at Colton?

 

[Spartacus]

So can trains run at 125mph now between Church Fenton and York or is it still 100mph until the ECML joins up at Colton?

Unless there's been any recent changes it's only 125 from Church Fenton on the Down Leeds, the Up Leeds is 125 to Ulleskelf, 100mph from Ulleskelf to Church Fenton, the Normantons are both 80mph between Church Fenton and the Wharf bridge north of Ulleskelf, the down is then 100 to Colton, 125 from there, the up is 125 between Colton and Colton South, then 100mph to the bridge.

 

[YorkshireBear]

So can trains run at 125mph now between Church Fenton and York or is it still 100mph until the ECML joins up at Colton?

Have been able to for a while. Hitachi units on diesel don't hit 125 between Church Fenton and York will be interesting to see if they do on electric. Will catch the Aberdeen to York from Leeds soon and see if LNER run on electric.

 

[wilsontown]

Wild optimism if it were true, but it says 10 minutes between York and Manchester, only 2 minutes of that between York and Leeds. It's carefully worded to say 'will cut', but not when. The full glowing announcement is here; https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rail-boost-for-the-north-transpennine-upgrade-one-step-closer

Thanks for that - I'd read the article in York Mix which had garbled the expected time savings. Local media can't even competently copy and paste a press release anymore.

 

[David Bullock]

Thanks for that - I'd read the article in York Mix which had garbled the expected time savings. Local media can't even competently copy and paste a press release anymore.

Yeah an article was released on a website called Secret Manchester which said that journey times were reduced to 42 minutes from the day the article was written.

 

[jfollows]

The usual thing they do is to add 20 minutes to the schedules during engineering work, then claim a 25 minute reduction in journey time when it’s finished which is only really a 5 minute reduction.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The usual thing they do is to add 20 minutes to the schedules during engineering work, then claim a 25 minute reduction in journey time when it’s finished which is only really a 5 minute reduction.

Now that really is cynical!

 

[jfollows]

Now that really is cynical!

And true - Virgin did it with the WCML upgrade, I have forgotten the figures they used but their starting point was much longer than 2h30m which BR managed Manchester-London in 1966.

 

[Bald Rick]

And true - Virgin did it with the WCML upgrade, I have forgotten the figures they used but their starting point was much longer than 2h30m which BR managed Manchester-London in 1966.

But it wasn’t 2h30 in 1996 when Virgin took it over.

 

[superkev]

Progress information seems to have gone quiet recently.
I see that this weekend the whole route is again, like last weekend, shut between Dewsbury and Stalybridge.
Rob Stenhouse had some pics of a bit of track renewal near Mirfield but can't see anything else.
That's a lot of closed track so I hope many more sites were doing useful work.
Any info as to what works last/this weekend was/are involved would be apprieciated.
Thanks.
K

 

[1D53]

Lots of civil works in recent weekends, bridge parapets and such like. Lots of prep work for the Huddersfield blockade, not all immediately visible. Less so on the track elements.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

12 years ago tomorrow this thread was started. I suppose it is fair to say some progress has been made in that time.

 

[Nottingham59]

12 years ago tomorrow this thread was started. I suppose it is fair to say some progress has been made in that time.

Genuine question: Have any rail services become faster or more frequent or more reliable or otherwise better as a result, so far?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Genuine question: Have any rail services become faster or more frequent or more reliable or otherwise better as a result, so far?

769s don't have to power changeover as much.
Always a good thing.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Genuine question: Have any rail services become faster or more frequent or more reliable or otherwise better as a result, so far?

The Hitachi 802 services out of Victoria are now rapid on the climb with a combination of miles platting and electrification.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Aug 2025 ==

Progress information seems to have gone quiet recently.
I see that this weekend the whole route is again, like last weekend, shut between Dewsbury and Stalybridge.
Rob Stenhouse had some pics of a bit of track renewal near Mirfield but can't see anything else.
That's a lot of closed track so I hope many more sites were doing useful work.
Any info as to what works last/this weekend was/are involved would be apprieciated.
Thanks.
K

Between Leeds and York rapid progress is being made.
Cross Gates to Church Fenton piling is now I'd say about 80% with several wire runs completed and lots of steelwork up.

The bridge at Church Fenton looks ready to be lifted in with the road embankment coming along nicely.

Neville hill, the trackbed base is currently being put in for the new alignment.

So lots going on in that section. Big civils (Ie Huddersfield to Dewsbury) looks like it's taking forever and then all of sudden there is a huge change.

 

[David Bullock]

Genuine question: Have any rail services become faster or more frequent or more reliable or otherwise better as a result, so far?

Moving the APCO to just south of York also helped a lot in getting the 802s up to speed when heading south. I imagine the wires to Church Fenton will have helped this as well. Trains also faster through Stalybridge following remodelling.

This will probably have helped reliability a bit for now, as these interventions may have shaved a couple of minutes off the journey time.

My suspicion is that we will see a timetable recast after Huddersfield-Leeds is finished. But before Stalybridge-Huddersfield is completed where we might see some more substantial improvements. (Various PWI talks have mentioned that they want some benefits to be felt in the early 2030s).

 

[YorksLad12]

Progress information seems to have gone quiet recently.
I see that this weekend the whole route is again, like last weekend, shut between Dewsbury and Stalybridge.
Rob Stenhouse had some pics of a bit of track renewal near Mirfield but can't see anything else.
That's a lot of closed track so I hope many more sites were doing useful work.
Any info as to what works last/this weekend was/are involved would be apprieciated.
Thanks.
K

Between Leeds and York rapid progress is being made.
Cross Gates to Church Fenton piling is now I'd say about 80% with several wire runs completed and lots of steelwork up.

The bridge at Church Fenton looks ready to be lifted in with the road embankment coming along nicely.

Neville hill, the trackbed base is currently being put in for the new alignment.

Sarah Bell went quiet for a few weeks, but has starting posting YouTube videos again. I suspect with the imminent closure of Huddersfield for one month we'll get lots of progress videos on that (hurrah!).

So lots going on in that section. Big civils (Ie Huddersfield to Dewsbury) looks like it's taking forever and then all of sudden there is a huge change.

I wrote elsewhere recently that I like doing project comms; nothing happens for ages, then everything happens all at once. Not everyone understands this

 

[superkev]

Sarah Bell posted a YouTube this morning showing some of centre track being renewed between Heaton Lodge and Mirfield which followed on from last weekend when the north line of the 3 lines done.
Seems to be the only major works between Dewsbury and Hudds over the last 2 weekends.
Presumably for when the 3 tracks become 4 they will need respacing.
K

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Sarah Bell posted a YouTube this morning showing some of centre track being renewed between Heaton Lodge and Mirfield which followed on from last weekend when the north line of the 3 lines done.
Seems to be the only major works between Dewsbury and Hudds over the last 2 weekends.

And here it is:

There was a full line closure over the weekend in the Huddersfield area. This video shows trackwork being completed between Heaton Lodge East Junction and Mirfield, as well as Bank stabilisation works in the Bradley and Deighton areas. With the canal towpath at Colne Bridge now open, it also looks at the newly-installed bridge deck. There is also a glimpse of progress at Ravensthorpe, near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Just on a Newcastle Liverpool and the diesel engines didn't come on till Ulleskelf so I assume that means TPE now using the new wiring!

 

[Jamesrob637]

It probably still won't be closed in August 2037!

12 years ago tomorrow this thread was started. I suppose it is fair to say some progress has been made in that time.

 

[The exile]

It probably still won't be closed in August 2037!

Well, full WCML electrification took nigh on 30 years…

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Well, full WCML electrification took nigh on 30 years…

did it? If you include Styal Line that's 1959 to 1976. I suppose if you include from proposal that's 1955-1976 so 21 years

 

[edwin_m]

did it? If you include Styal Line that's 1959 to 1976. I suppose if you include from proposal that's 1955-1976 so 21 years

Counting up until Carstairs-Edinburgh?

 

[The exile]

Counting up until Carstairs-Edinburgh?

Indeed - exactly that.
What's more - didn't the original proposal include the lines north from Manchester and Liverpool and the Blackpool line?

 

[QueensCurve]

Well, full WCML electrification took nigh on 30 years…

The 'Five Cities' took from 1959 to 1966. Glasgow was reached in 1974. Edinburgh about 1992. Crewe to Kidsgrove in 2003. Manchester to black Blackpool came much later.

 

[superkev]

And here it is:

There was a full line closure over the weekend in the Huddersfield area. This video shows trackwork being completed between Heaton Lodge East Junction and Mirfield, as well as Bank stabilisation works in the Bradley and Deighton areas. With the canal towpath at Colne Bridge now open, it also looks at the newly-installed bridge deck. There is also a glimpse of progress at Ravensthorpe, near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Anyone know what the huge crane shown in the vid at Mirfield station was doing.
K

 

[Jamesrob637]

The 'Five Cities' took from 1959 to 1966. Glasgow was reached in 1974. Edinburgh about 1992. Crewe to Kidsgrove in 2003. Manchester to black Blackpool came much later.

2018 to Blackpool but 2013 as far as Golborne.

 

[LittleAH]

Anyone know what the huge crane shown in the vid at Mirfield station was doing.
K

Bridge deck being put in

 

[WesternBiker]

And here it is:

There was a full line closure over the weekend in the Huddersfield area. This video shows trackwork being completed between Heaton Lodge East Junction and Mirfield, as well as Bank stabilisation works in the Bradley and Deighton areas. With the canal towpath at Colne Bridge now open, it also looks at the newly-installed bridge deck. There is also a glimpse of progress at Ravensthorpe, near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Another great video update.

I have to say the underside of the existing bridge over the canal at Colne Bridge looks like it could do with some maintenance..