NPR - Planned Electrification

[59CosG95]

Note for the mods: until such time as further details of schemes are announced, this is remaining in Speculative Discussion.

One for @GRALISTAIR and the other OLE fans on the forum...

Given the recent announcement of electrification works around Leeds as part of "NPR Phase 1", I've put the following routes down as potential candidates:

• Leeds to Sheffield: Currently, services via Wakefield Westgate are under the wires but diesel-operated throughout, with the wires ending at South Kirkby. Services via Wakefield Kirkgate, on the other hand, are basically wire-free.
  • We can definitely conclude that wires will go up from Sheffield to Meadowhall/Wincobank Jct.
  • The diagram below seems to err on the route via Rotherham being wired, rather than that via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate & Methley Jct.
  • Summary: via Rotherham seems to be on top.
• Leeds to Bradford: Services to Bradford Forster Square are electrified already. Services to Bradford Interchange, however, are not.
  • Bradford's new single station might form part of these plans, but we don't yet know the full details.
• Leeds to York: Currently unelectrified, although the route via Garforth & Micklefield is being electrified as part & parcel of TRU.
  • Electrifying the Leeds-Sheffield via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate & Methley Jct route gives a head-start to any electrification via Castleford and Sherburn-in-Elmet to reach Church Fenton, giving 2 electrified routes to York.
  • The Harrogate Line is also an obvious choice for a 3rd electrified route to York.

Any thoughts?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I mistakenly thought York-Sheffield was on the electrification list, but it isn't.
But it's only 7 miles from Swinton to Doncaster to close the gap that way, if Sheffield-Leeds via Moorthorpe is wired.
That would give XC services full wires via Doncaster or Leeds.
It's 17 miles Moorthorpe-Burton Salmon-Church Fenton, but they wouldn't wire that would they?
And Hull is totally absent from any of this.

 

[59CosG95]

I mistakenly thought York-Sheffield was on the electrification list, but it isn't.
But it's only 7 miles from Swinton to Doncaster to close the gap that way, if Sheffield-Leeds via Moorthorpe is wired.
That would give XC services full wires via Doncaster or Leeds.
It's 17 miles Moorthorpe-Burton Salmon-Church Fenton, but they wouldn't wire that would they?
And Hull is totally absent from any of this.

Knottingley & Pontefract (all 3 stations) appear to lose out as well.
I have heard rumours that Sheff - Doncaster becomes part of the tram-train network, thereby extending the wires east, but at this point they're just that - rumours.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Leeds to Sheffield:

Sheffield will be interesting because of all the permutations and combinations of whether wires reach Sheffield from the north first, the south first (if MMLE is anti-un-cancelpaused again), both around the same time, or neither.

It will, of course, not look at all silly for Sheffield-Leeds to be wired for Northern services whilst 2tph bimode 810s chug in and out from the South on diesel.

To be perfectly honest, the more relevant speculation is when all this will get descoped (if it has even yet been scoped) and "paused".

 

[xotGD]

Bradford's new single station

It won't be a single station. It will be a third station in addition to the existing two.

 

[59CosG95]

Sheffield will be interesting because of all the permutations and combinations of whether wires reach Sheffield from the north first, the south first (if MMLE is anti-un-cancelpaused again), both around the same time, or neither.

It will, of course, not look at all silly for Sheffield-Leeds to be wired for Northern services whilst 2tph bimode 810s chug in and out from the South on diesel.

To be perfectly honest, the more relevant speculation is when all this will get descoped (if it has even yet been scoped) and "paused".

Absolutely - I think Sheffield ought to be one of the areas looked at first (at least for design) as it's very complex, in a constrained area with myriad tunnels, bridges and other clearance issues to be taken into account. Having a "one team, one dream" mentality is paramount for the designer(s), both south and north. And who knows - Sheffield to Leeds may even get descoped to allow the MML to be wired first!

It won't be a single station. It will be a third station in addition to the existing two.

Ah I see - the extents of my knowledge of Bradford start and end at Forster Square!

 

[Verulamius]

Derby and Nottingham stations have already been redesigned with future proofing for Electrification.

My understanding is that Sheffield station layout would need to be modernised?

 

[ChrisC]

Derby and Nottingham stations have already been redesigned with future proofing for Electrification.

My understanding is that Sheffield station layout would need to be modernised?

If all the plans for NPR and Birmingham to Manchester do actually happen, the East Midlands and Sheffield could once more be somewhat bypassed and left behind. Not completing the MML electrification and between Birmingham and Derby will leave Sheffield with diesel trains on the main routes from the south.

 

[InTheEastMids]

I think Sheffield ought to be one of the areas looked at first

One of the advantages of starting North of Sheffield is that there is a lot of 275kV infrastructure out towards Meadowhall. Since this was probably built to serve energy-intensive steel processing etc. that has mostly disappeared, there may be a lot of grid capacity available. I have experienced what can only be described as an unwarranted flash of optimism that there could be a quick win here.

Having a "one team, one dream" mentality

Pass the sick bag

If all the plans for NPR and Birmingham to Manchester do actually happen, the East Midlands and Sheffield could once more be somewhat bypassed and left behind. Not completing the MML electrification and between Birmingham and Derby will leave Sheffield with diesel trains on the main routes from the south.

Should have a poll about where the wires would stop coming from the North. To put it another way, which location would most effectively reveal the Government's failure to care about the Midlands? I am torn between halfway through Bradway Tunnel (as that is where the border between S Yorks and Derbyshire is), or - for maximum irony - Syston North Junction.

 

[59CosG95]

One of the advantages of starting North of Sheffield is that there is a lot of 275kV infrastructure out towards Meadowhall. Since this was probably built to serve energy-intensive steel processing etc. that has mostly disappeared, there may be a lot of grid capacity available. I have experienced what can only be described as an unwarranted flash of optimism that there could be a quick win here.


Pass the sick bag


Should have a poll about where the wires would stop coming from the North. To put it another way, which location would most effectively reveal the Government's failure to care about the Midlands? I am torn between halfway through Bradway Tunnel (as that is where the border between S Yorks and Derbyshire is), or - for maximum irony - Syston North Junction.

You can thank/blame Taskmaster S13 E10 for your sick bag requirements (Christie, B., Love, J. and Duker, S.) for that phrase!

Excellent point raised about the feeding possibilities around Sheffield - Brinsworth 400kV, Pitsmoor 275kV and Wincobank 275kV all seem possible to connect to for higher spec power supplies, although Network Rail may well go down the SFC route and use a 132kV supply instead.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It won't be a single station. It will be a third station in addition to the existing two.

I totally agree but something needs to be done with Interchange- easiest sop to the locals etc would be to at least electrify it to Leeds.

 

[59CosG95]

I totally agree but something needs to be done with Interchange- easiest sop to the locals etc would be to at least electrify it to Leeds.

Precisely, although none of the services that currently run from Leeds to Bradford are electric the whole way, even with the intervention of the wires here. At least Blackpool North - York could run on the wires for the majority of the route, if they went bi-modal.

 

[deltic08]

As the Yorkshire Mayors are about to take over responsibly for transport, I think Oliver Coppard will press for electrification of Moorthorpe-Sheffield and Doncaster-Swinton and Tracy Brabin and Keith Skaith will press for electrification of Leeds-Harrogate-York as in the Yorkshire Rail Plan published last summer. Sunak promised Leeds-Bradford Interchange electrification when he cancelled north of Birmingham HS2. Leeds-Bradford electrification is rather pointless without bimodes as there are no Leeds-Bradford only services to use pure electric trains. Continuing to Halifax and Manchester is logical then pure electrics can be used. Again as far as Todmordon would be the responsibility of West Yorkshire Mayor who is not that pro railway from passed experience with her. No interest whatsoever in reinstating the old Wetherby line from Cross Gates to East Leeds new town of eventually 40,000 population by allowing the former trackbed to be built over with houses instead of future proofing it.

 

[Iskra]

Note for the mods: until such time as further details of schemes are announced, this is remaining in Speculative Discussion.

One for @GRALISTAIR and the other OLE fans on the forum...

Given the recent announcement of electrification works around Leeds as part of "NPR Phase 1", I've put the following routes down as potential candidates:

• Leeds to Sheffield: Currently, services via Wakefield Westgate are under the wires but diesel-operated throughout, with the wires ending at South Kirkby. Services via Wakefield Kirkgate, on the other hand, are basically wire-free.
  • We can definitely conclude that wires will go up from Sheffield to Meadowhall/Wincobank Jct.
  • The diagram below seems to err on the route via Rotherham being wired, rather than that via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate & Methley Jct.
  • Summary: via Rotherham seems to be on top.
• Leeds to Bradford: Services to Bradford Forster Square are electrified already. Services to Bradford Interchange, however, are not.
  • Bradford's new single station might form part of these plans, but we don't yet know the full details.
• Leeds to York: Currently unelectrified, although the route via Garforth & Micklefield is being electrified as part & parcel of TRU.
  • Electrifying the Leeds-Sheffield via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate & Methley Jct route gives a head-start to any electrification via Castleford and Sherburn-in-Elmet to reach Church Fenton, giving 2 electrified routes to York.
  • The Harrogate Line is also an obvious choice for a 3rd electrified route to York.

Any thoughts?

Can you provide this diagram please?

Electrifying via Rotherham rather than the direct route from Meadowhall-Swinton-Moorthorpe would seem an interesting choice, ideally both would be done.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2026 ==

I mistakenly thought York-Sheffield was on the electrification list, but it isn't.
But it's only 7 miles from Swinton to Doncaster to close the gap that way, if Sheffield-Leeds via Moorthorpe is wired.
That would give XC services full wires via Doncaster or Leeds.
It's 17 miles Moorthorpe-Burton Salmon-Church Fenton, but they wouldn't wire that would they?
And Hull is totally absent from any of this.

I agree that doing Swinton to Doncaster is also a no-brainer. It would allow the Adwick service to go full EMU and allow for Northern to reinstate a Sheffield-Doncaster service with an EMU.

 

[Grimsby town]

Can you provide this diagram please?

Electrifying via Rotherham rather than the direct route from Meadowhall-Swinton-Moorthorpe would seem an interesting choice, ideally both would be done.

The direct route will be electrified. I doubt the route via Rotherham Central will be electrified and I think that will become tram-train only possibly extending through to Doncaster.

 

[Bantamzen]

I'd say that given the document states Leeds-Bradford wiring is considered a priority, it's likely to be done before any new station in Bradford. By the time it's done, Northern should hopefully be in possession of their new multi-mode stock and be able to utilise them on the Calder Valley route.

 

[nr758123]

Leeds to York: Currently unelectrified, although the route via Garforth & Micklefield is being electrified as part & parcel of TRU.

• Electrifying the Leeds-Sheffield via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate & Methley Jct route gives a head-start to any electrification via Castleford and Sherburn-in-Elmet to reach Church Fenton, giving 2 electrified routes to York.
• The Harrogate Line is also an obvious choice for a 3rd electrified route to York.

More likely it's a re-announcement of the route via Garforth. In West Yorkshire, we have had 15 years or more of getting used to re-announcements.

 

[Grimsby town]

More likely it's a re-announcement of the route via Garforth. In West Yorkshire, we have had 15 years or more of getting used to re-announcements.

I think what has to be understood about these kind of government announcements is that they're not necessarily written by people who understand the technical aspects of railways.

I'm 99% sure this isn't a reannouncement of electrification. I think its an announcement of further upgrades on top of what has been promised for the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). For Sheffield and Bradford that means electrification and other upgrades, and Leeds to York has been lumped in with that in terms of timescales, so wires have been crossed. I'm pretty sure the investment will be 4 tracking Cross Gates to Garforth which TRU is performing enabling works but not actually delivering.

 

[nr758123]

I think what has to be understood about these kind of government announcements is that they're not necessarily written by people who understand the technical aspects of railways.

I'm 99% sure this isn't a reannouncement of electrification. I think its an announcement of further upgrades on top of what has been promised for the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). For Sheffield and Bradford that means electrification and other upgrades, and Leeds to York has been lumped in with that in terms of timescales, so wires have been crossed. I'm pretty sure the investment will be 4 tracking Cross Gates to Garforth which TRU is performing enabling works but not actually delivering.

Quite possibly, but that's not what it says.

 

[Grimsby town]

Quite possibly, but that's not what it says.

https://share.google/IW9v8lUYcd7ykXSUm
Below is what is said about electrification:

Work will progress across the whole NPR
network throughout, but will be delivered in three broad stages: first, electrification
and upgrades in the Leeds-Bradford, Leeds-Sheffield and Leeds-York corridors,
including the stations;

I agree that it reads like electrification is included as part of the investment for Leeds to York but I think that's just to keep the reporting concise. TRU electrification is planned to be done by 2030 and it clearly says the NPR investment is during the 2030s, so is definitely new investment on the Leeds to York line.

 

[AlexSJW]

A problem with NPR is the route through the spagetti of Manchester. Keeping as much traffic out of Manchester is ideal. Freight at Trafford can be moved to Parkside.
Wigan to Ringway can be via WCML and a reopened line, maybe with building one mile of track over fields, from Warrington to Timperly. More direct and trains then out of Manchester's centre. Even Bolton trains to Ringway can go via Wigan as the line can be a ''fast'' service. This line would also service Warrington, Liverpool, etc, to Ringway and also take them to Sheffield avoiding Manchester. A win, win. Reinstating the line is vital for many reasons.
There are plans to extend the Metrolink network to Bolton. A proposed tram-train service is planned to connect Bolton and Leigh to the existing system via Atherton. The viaducts in central Manchester have to be given over to Metrolink, as they can extend off them easily. Manchester is now famous for its trams. Battery trams can make extensions quicker and cheaper. Then no expensive TfGM underground tunnels.

NPR needs a short tunnel from Warrington Bank Quay LL to the CLC, then a tunnel under Salford Docks to Victoria, the over the Pennines. Then a full NPR link to Liverpool via the fiddlers Ferry line. HS2 via Stoke can terminate in Piccadilly as can all intercity trains. Piccadilly and Victoria can be linked by a tram shuttle over the Ordsall Cord.

Now NPR is here Manchester's rail is not as complex to put right as first thought.