Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[Alexd]

I know there's probably still much work to do, but I really can't get my head round how it will be another 4 years before the Leeds to Church Fenton bit is ready, given the recent progress and there are seemingly masts etc up over much of the route already. 4 years!

Isn’t there a significant chunk of work around Neville Hill that requires completion of the new maintenance depot at Shipley?

 

[D6130]

Isn’t there a significant chunk of work around Neville Hill that requires completion of the new maintenance depot at Shipley?

Correct.

 

[InOban]

I read earlier that there is a bridge near Church Fenton which needs replacement. What other structures need work before Neville Hill,?

 

[Bald Rick]

I know there's probably still much work to do, but I really can't get my head round how it will be another 4 years before the Leeds to Church Fenton bit is ready, given the recent progress and there are seemingly masts etc up over much of the route already. 4 years!

Big block for Neville Hill works in summer 2028. The quite a bit to follow that.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Still a bit bridge job to do at Church Fenton too.

Agree with other posters. The pile/mast positions Neville Hill to Garforth suggest some element of passive provision for 4 tracking.

 

[quantinghome]

I know there's probably still much work to do, but I really can't get my head round how it will be another 4 years before the Leeds to Church Fenton bit is ready, given the recent progress and there are seemingly masts etc up over much of the route already. 4 years!

Masts are the least of the planned works. The line is essentially being rebuilt around Neville Hill and there are major bridge replacements in central Leeds.

 

[zwk500]

I know there's probably still much work to do, but I really can't get my head round how it will be another 4 years before the Leeds to Church Fenton bit is ready, given the recent progress and there are seemingly masts etc up over much of the route already. 4 years!

Worth pointing out that elements can be phased in before that date (in fact it's highly likely that they will), which is for completion of the entire scheme. So we might get OLE in service between west of Cross Gates and Church Fenton ahead of the Neville Hill work.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Is Sarah Bell okay? There have been no videos from her for most of March.

 

[59CosG95]

Is Sarah Bell okay? There have been no videos from her for most of March.

Perhaps she's caught that bug that seems to be going round.

 

[YorksLad12]

Is Sarah Bell okay? There have been no videos from her for most of March.

To be fair, there's not much 'new' happening at the moment. I think there's some bridge replacements coming up soon, which would be worthwhile going out for.

 

[Geeves]

Quite a busy weekend coming up! Sounds like this is the final one for Wheatley's Colliery Bridge potentially

 

[158801]

I noticed on a recent journey that since the line has been resignalled, every signal between Cross Gates and Church Fenton is now a controlled signal. There are no automatic signals - despite some sections of plain track with no points or junctions. When I travelled every signal for the opposite line was displaying red.

Is this something new for UK railway resignalling or something that's only been done for this section of track. Is there a reasoon not to have automatic signals ?

 

[edwin_m]

I noticed on a recent journey that since the line has been resignalled, every signal between Cross Gates and Church Fenton is now a controlled signal. There are no automatic signals - despite some sections of plain track with no points or junctions. When I travelled every signal for the opposite line was displaying red.

Is this something new for UK railway resignalling or something that's only been done for this section of track. Is there a reasoon not to have automatic signals ?

Automatic signals stopped being plated as such on new schemes some years ago, although they still operate in the same way. The original purpose of the plate was to allow a driver to proceed cautiously past the signal at danger if they couldn't contact the signaller via the signal phone or any other means, but with GSM-R that's no longer really necessary and is no longer permitted.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Very happy to be corrected, but i believe that there is no difference anymore from the drivers perspective whether a signal is automatic or controlled, and also that new signals are standardised to be all controlled but with the option to operate automatically if the signaller desires. With solid state interlocking tech, there is no significant saving on wiring by having purely auto signals

 

[Tim_UK]

I was in Huddersfield earlier.

Looks like the old style metal span over Fitzwilliam Street looks like it is staying. It's on new pads. I first noticed this on the `On track with Tim` video on youtube yesterday. It's been worked on for several months, and they were carefully exposing the stone work around the ends. I always presumed they were just exposing the ends to lift the span out cleanly. When the similar Bradford road span was lifted, a few bits of parapet were damaged and fell off.


On the St Johns Road span, they are scaffolding in the gap where there is no new span yet. I'm wondering if the new span is getting built in situ. This will just be for bay platform 6 so won't have high speeds.

This is outside the sportsman pub (which is still open)

 

[Traf73]

That's right, Span 4 over Fitzwilliam St is a refurb job only. Span 3 over John William St is due to go in on the night shift tomorrow...theoretically.

 

[swt_passenger]

I was in Huddersfield earlier.
[…]
On the St Johns Road span, they are scaffolding in the gap where there is no new span yet. I'm wondering if the new span is getting built in situ. This will just be for bay platform 6 so won't have high speeds.
[…]

I see there’s another video this morning, looks like you’re right and it is being built up in situ, starting at the left side.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Perhaps she's caught that bug that seems to be going round.

Nope, she's been in Glorious Devon!

 

[Bodiam]

Nope, she's been in Glorious Devon!

Her video of china clay trains was posted today

 

[Tim_UK]

So the front beam of the new bridge span has been lifted in today. St John's road in Huddersfield. There was a lot of banging going on, and it was still supported by the crane while I was there. I'm guessing there are a lot of bits to fit in the right hole, and maybe a load of bolts to go in.

It's the green crane today. Rather than the white crane that was used to lift in the deck parts.

Pictures taken in the morning of Saturday April 4th.

On the old span over Fitzwilliam street - I took a better picture of where there is a rebar cage to rebuild the parapet.

The new station footbridge is still up in the car park in the grounds of the old technical college. And the last picture shows the scene in the yard behind Huddersfield station.

The last picture is a zoomed in version of the one before (none at posted at full resolution). You can see that they are using stone blockwork to build around the steel structure of the footbridge steps on Platform2

 

[swt_passenger]

So the front beam of the new bridge span has been lifted in today. St John's road in Huddersfield. There was a lot of banging going on, and it was still supported by the crane while I was there. I'm guessing there are a lot of bits to fit in the right hole, and maybe a load of bolts to go in.

The latter ‘load of bolts’ will be because the deck sections (that you mentioned) were prepositioned on the trestles, and bolted to the side of the previously fitted long beam section carrying the P4/5 island platform. So all those deck pieces will now need to be secured to the newly fitted bridge side span, each individual section needing accurate alignment of its many bolt holes.

There must have been a good reason why they didn’t position the long span first and then fit the deck sections in the resultant gap between girders.

 

[1179_Clee2]

Is Sarah Bell okay? There have been no videos from her for most of March.

Sarah Bell is back
YouTube video posted one hour ago

The Transpennine Route Upgrade saw the line through Huddersfield closed over part of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, 2026. This video by Sarah Bell features the new bridge span after it was lifted into place on John William Street/Fitzwilliam Street in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It also looks at piling work at Bradley Junction, bridge replacement work at A62 Leeds Road, gantry installation at Deighton and a complete lack of Easter Sundatly activity at Colne Bridge Road, near Mamas and Papas, despite a road closure...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Sarah Bell is back
You tube videc posted one hour ago

And it is a good one - over 17 minutes long. Good progress being made.

 

[Tim_UK]

To summarise the videos. On Track with Tim and Sarah Bell. I presume both filmed on Sunday. So I'm not sure what happened today (Monday).

The John William street span is in, and you can see all the holes now now bolts in them. The supporting scaffolding underneath all gone.

(Sorry, I've called it St Johns road in other posts. The name changes night next to the bridge.)

Comparing to google maps, the new span is a bit narrower then the old one. There is a bit of new concrete wall where there used to be bridge.

There is a new two track signal gantry just west of Deighton. It is huge and looks substantial.

Monday had a normal train service, so I don't know what else might happened overnight or on Monday.

 

[Spartacus]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned elsewhere but the footbridge at Batley’s now in use, subway closed off

 

[superkev]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned elsewhere but the footbridge at Batley’s now in use, subway closed off

I believe the lifts await commissioning.
K

 

[Spartacus]

I believe the lifts await commissioning.
K

At least one platform's waiting the lift being installed by the look of it.

 

[Bill50023]

It looks like the steps are open but the lifts aren't in operation yet. This video update has gone on YouTube

 

[Cowley]

There’s a new thread below to discuss the Weaver branding etc:

Weaver Network colours appearing on Trans Pennine route

It looks like the steps are open but the lifts aren't in operation yet. This video update has gone on YouTube

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Bill50023]

Looking at some of the recent videos on YouTube, I don't think it will be too long before the new road bridge is lifted in at Deighton.