Passengers reminded of major railway improvements between Huddersfield and Leeds in February

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel from Monday 19 to Friday 23 February, as engineering work will impact rail services between Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Leeds.

The upgrades being carried out are part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), a multi-billion-pound programme of railway upgrades that will enable faster, more reliable, greener services for customers travelling across the Pennines.

Track drainage and platform work will be carried out in the Morley area, whilst in Dewsbury engineers will be working on replacing and enhancing telecommunications networks to enable future signalling system improvements.

Jonathan Hepton, Sponsor on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said: “The TRU team will be working around the clock to carry out these essential works, as we focus on upgrades on the railway at Morley and other locations in the Batley and Dewsbury areas.”

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding as these upgrades are delivered and would like to remind them to check before they travel.”

For these vital upgrades to be facilitated, train services will be re-routed and will not call at all stations. TransPennine Express and Northern will keep passengers on the move via diversionary routes and rail replacement buses.

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director at TransPennine Express, said: “The work around Morley and Dewsbury is essential for the delivery of more reliable services for our customers, as well as the delivery of the upgraded Morley station.

“We will be running an amended timetable on our North route while these improvement works are being carried out, diverting trains between Huddersfield and Leeds. Rail replacement buses will also be in place to keep customers on the move for more local journeys. We'd like to advise customers to check before they travel.”

Additionally, on 17/18 and 24/25 February, engineers will be completing upgrades around Huddersfield – customers are advised to plan their journey ahead of time if travelling by train during these periods.

These upgrades bring us one step closer to a better railway serving the new Morley station and at other locations in the Dewsbury and Batley area, with wider benefits across the entire Transpennine Route to create a cleaner, greener, and more reliable railway that will bring improved connectivity and travel experiences to passengers travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.