Standedge Tunnel Fire 25/1

[Angmering1974]

Is that £100m Calder Valley diversion investment that was advertised during the recent TRU month-long closure helping with the current diversions too?

 

[TUC]

How many people do you think actually know about the disruption before they tip up at the station at 6am? If they did they might have expected it to be all sorted by now and normal service resumed, as advertised yesterday? Most rail users aren't enthusiasts or totally clued up on the network as to what alternatives could be used other than slavishly following what station staff tell them.

These days, if anyone heard about the disruption before leaving home (perhaps by reference to it on news bulletins) their first response woukd likely be to check online.

(On days when I'm going into the office, one thing I do before leavimg home is to check whether the service I planned to use is running/on time.)

put it another way, if everyone just pitches up at the station what would be the poijt of putting the information onlime in the first place?

 

[AndyHudds]

These days, if anyone heard about the disruption before leaving home (perhaps by reference to it on news bulletins) their first response woukd likely be to check online.

(On days when I'm going into the office, one thing I do before leavimg home is to check whether the service I planned to use is running/on time.)

put it another way, if everyone just pitches up at the station what would be the poijt of putting the information onlime in the first place?

A lot of bemused looking passengers at Huddersfield this morning mate and judging by the numbers just turning up at the normal time ie 6am then I'd say, yes, looks like a lot of people haven't heard. If they had they wouldn't turn up at 6am to wait 45 minutes for a coach to Dewsbury thats going to take 25 minutes and then however long to get onto to Leeds by train....would they?

 

[TUC]

I'm guessing the reason for Northern cancelling some of their morning services between Victoria and Leeds is to ease capacity problems on Calder Valley, I noticed looking at Tracksy yesterday there were problems with bunching of some services causing delays some TPE services were running anything up-to 30mins late at times.

Not helpful for Calder Valley commuters though, for whom there are two services in a row cancelled, with a gap for Halifax-Leeds services between 0707 amd 0740. Even worse for anyone needing to get to New Pudsey, as the 0740 is via Dewsbury, so their next service is 0753.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I'm guessing the reason for Northern cancelling some of their morning services between Victoria and Leeds is to ease capacity problems on Calder Valley, I noticed looking at Tracksy yesterday there were problems with bunching of some services causing delays some TPE services were running anything up-to 30mins late at times.

Yes, all the Manchester - Leeds are cancelled (Wigan -Leeds and Chester - Leeds running as normal)

 

[M60lad]

Are the Chester-Leeds services running as stand alone services today? I know normally they interwork at Leeds with Leeds-Victoria via Bradford services

 

[Bantamzen]

Yes, all the Manchester - Leeds are cancelled (Wigan -Leeds and Chester - Leeds running as normal)

This seems counter-intuitive, cancelling them means the remaining services will get busier and start to pick up delays with longer dwell times.

 

[dodecahedron67]

TPE are picking up Hebden Bridge and Rochdale stops here and there to help out

 

[Scotty Dog]

The first impression from the National Rail app is that both routes are closed as Rochdale appears in the disruption warning header.

It's only until halfway through the attached video clip, and after suggesting using Cross Country and LNER routes does it say Leeds to Manchester Victoria is an alternative.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Expected to be shut until 0600 28/01 at minimum now

 

[185143]

Expected to be shut until 0600 28/01 at minimum now

Can see this one rumbling on for a while.

Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Andyh82]

Yes, all the Manchester - Leeds are cancelled (Wigan -Leeds and Chester - Leeds running as normal)

National Rail suggests that all trains between Manchester Victoria and Leeds are cancelled

Advice for Northern customers:
Trains between Leeds and Manchester Victoria services will be cancelled in both directions.

Incident: Stalybridge | National Rail

Major disruption between Huddersfield and Manchester Victoria . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

TPE Services may or may not run via the Calder valley, but nothing more specific than that

It also seems to think that the Northern services to Huddersfield still run, which of course at the moment they don’t

 

[skyhigh]

Update early this morning was that staff had been removed from the tunnel due to bits of the roof falling in on them, so I can see this going on for a while.

There is apparently heat damage to brickwork that has made it very brittle.

 

[josh-j]

The first impression from the National Rail app is that both routes are closed as Rochdale appears in the disruption warning header.

It's only until halfway through the attached video clip, and after suggesting using Cross Country and LNER routes does it say Leeds to Manchester Victoria is an alternative.

In fairness there are cancellations through Rochdale as well which I assume are as a result of the incident. Maybe due to capacity constraints with diverted services from Standedge?

 

[TUC]

The first impression from the National Rail app is that both routes are closed as Rochdale appears in the disruption warning header.

It's only until halfway through the attached video clip, and after suggesting using Cross Country and LNER routes does it say Leeds to Manchester Victoria is an alternative.

It is confusing. The description goes onto say 'Northern between Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria / Wigan Wallgate / Wigan North Western / Southport' when that is not the Rochdale part of the line. Yes, Rochdale, and Calder Valley services, are impacted by the consequential effects, but it really isn't clear.

 

[marsker]

I got an email from TPE to our user group this morning with the following service description for today:

TransPennine Express train services for Monday 26th January will operate as outlined below:
Network Rail have advised that the fire damage to the brickwork in Standedge Tunnel is significant and that the required repair will take between 24 to 48 hours to complete. The route between Marsden and Stalybridge will there for remain closed until further notice, with services where possible diverted over the Calder Valley or operated by rail replacement buses.

• Liverpool to Hull - divert over the Calder Valley
• Manchester Airport to Redcar - divert over the Calder Valley
• Liverpool to Newcastle - divert over the Calder Valley, stopping additionally at Rochdale and Hebden Bridge as Northern have withdrawn some of their services to reduce congestion
• Manchester to Scarborough - Will run as Scarborough to York shuttles only
• York to Manchester Piccadilly stopping services – Will run between York and Marsden
• Manchester Piccadilly to York stopping services - Will run between Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge where possible
• Rail replacement services will operate on the following routes:
  • Stalybridge-Huddersfield calling at Mossley, Greenfield, Slaithwaite and Marsden
  • Huddersfield-Manchester Piccadilly calling at Marsden, Slaithwaite, Greenfield, Mossley and Stalybridge
  • Dewsbury-Huddersfield
  • Huddersfield-Dewsbury
  • Customers at Huddersfield are advised to travel to Dewsbury and connect into train services towards Leeds and Manchester.

I strongly suspect that most, if not all, of the Redcar services will get spun at Middlesbrough

 

[coxxy]

Why can't they run the manchester-staly service to greenfield and use the turnback at diggle?

 

[D1537]

I stronly suspect that most, if not all, of the Redcar services will get spun at Middlesbrough

They all are/will - trains are coming out of the other end of the diversion 15-25 late, and then some are losing their paths around Leeds and on the ECML, so a sub-10-minute turnround at Redcar isn't happening today.

There's one that's extended to Saltburn in the evening which might be able to be spun at Redcar, but that's it, I think.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

TPE have been turning incoming Liverpool-Newcastle services at Huyton, which I haven't seen before.
Generally allows delays via the Calder Valley to be balanced, although Huyton isn't normally a TPE stop.
But not good when three consecutive TPE services cancelled at Lime St (0919/24/54 to Cleethorpes/Newcastle/Hull).
Hull services seem to have gone completely.

 

[D1537]

Why can't they run the manchester-staly service to greenfield and use the turnback at diggle?

According to Traksy etc. there's still an engineering possession at Greenfield, so I wonder if they're using the extended period of no service to get extra stuff done on the TRU-related work (or to catch up on work that may have been affected by the RRV fire).

 

[TUC]

I got an email from TPE to our user group this morning with the following service description for today:


I strongly suspect that most, if not all, of the Redcar services will get spun at Middlesbrough

But no mention on the NR site of ticket acceptance by Northern for TPE Redcar tickets.

 

[Andyh82]

I wonder why they are running buses to Dewsbury instead of stopping all the diverted TPEs at Brighouse and running buses there, as would be the case if it was a planned closure

 

[AndyHudds]

TPE are picking up Hebden Bridge and Rochdale stops here and there to help out

Could call at Brighouse too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2026 ==

I wonder why they are running buses to Dewsbury instead of stopping all the diverted TPEs at Brighouse and running buses there, as would be the case if it was a planned closure

Seems crazy that they aren't using Brighouse, its only 4 miles or so from Huddersfield, much more convenient than Dewsbury.

 

[Fokx]

I wonder why they are running buses to Dewsbury instead of stopping all the diverted TPEs at Brighouse and running buses there, as would be the case if it was a planned closure

Much easier to use a staffed TPE station than an unstaffed Northern one, particularly when there is no bus co-ordinators or TPRU staff around to assist confused passengers

 

[marsker]

But no mention on the NR site of ticket acceptance by Northern for TPE Redcar tickets.

There was some info on ticket acceptance, I only copied the bit about services as it expanded the other information.
There is, ocourse, cross acceptance between DfTO operators at times of disruption.

 

[Fokx]

According to Traksy etc. there's still an engineering possession at Greenfield, so I wonder if they're using the extended period of no service to get extra stuff done on the TRU-related work (or to catch up on work that may have been affected by the RRV fire).

In addition Manchester to Stalybridge only requires one train, one driver and one guard to run an hourly service on the normal timetable.

Train departs Manchester at 00, arrives 12.
Train departs Stalybridge at 23 arrives 39.

Greenfield to Manchester requires 2, a shunt move, and extended layover.

 

[marsker]

Given the level of disruption, is it odd that there's no VST amendments showing on RTT?

 

[TUC]

Much easier to use a staffed TPE station than an unstaffed Northern one, particularly when there is no bus co-ordinators or TPRU staff around to assist confused passengers

I can see that. It is also the case though that for a number of Huddersfield passengers Brighouse will be almost as convenient, certainly more than Dewsbury.

 

[Lucy1501]

Why can't they run the manchester-staly service to greenfield and use the turnback at diggle?

Turnback capabilities at Diggle were removed, it was planned with the resignalling but never commissioned.

 

[nr758123]

Much easier to use a staffed TPE station than an unstaffed Northern one, particularly when there is no bus co-ordinators or TPRU staff around to assist confused passengers

Isn't there an hourly Brighouse-Deighton-Huddersfield replacement bus running anyway, for the foreseeable future?