To aid the movement of passengers, Network Rail are upgrading a bridge in Huddersfield.
The upgrade to the Calder Valley Line is part of a multi-billion pound Transpennine Route Upgrade. This August, Network Rail engineers will be replacing Fieldhouse Lane bridge.
The improved bridge will allow for faster and frequent trains to travel across in the future with electrification of the line. The bridge will also be bigger to allow for future upgrades of increasing the number of tracks from 2 to 4 between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury). The doubling of the tracks has been given the green light on the 27th June by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The majority of trains will still run through Huddersfield, instead travelling via Brighouse and the Calder Valley route. This is while the work takes place in the first two weekends of August (Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th).
Despite the trains still mostly running, passengers should check before they travel for latest updates and changes in travel times.
Hannah Lomas, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail said: “It's brilliant to see the years of improvement work on the Calder Valley line come into use, allowing us to complete this essential bridge upgrades in Huddersfield while also allowing passengers to continue travelling by train.
“The new and improved route will act as a vital diversion now and into the future as we deliver faster, cleaner, more frequent journeys for passengers travelling between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester.”
Kathryn O'Brien, Customer Service & Operations Director for TransPennine Express, said, “The work taking place this August is vital to the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme and will affect TransPennine Express services in and out of Huddersfield, leading to a number of service alterations. We will do all we can to keep customers on the move, and the plan is to divert our trains via the upgraded Calder Valley route, with a rail replacement bus service also operating, where required.
“Customers are advised to allow additional time to travel and to check carefully for the latest travel advice on our website: www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/changes-to-train-times; updates will also be available on our social media channels. Additional staff will also be on hand at key stations to kelp make customers journeys as smooth as possible.”
Not knowing this area, I’m completely baffled by what is happening at this bridge. It looks like the bridge once carried a double track railway, but no longer does. The third paragraph starts “The improved bridge will allow for faster and frequent trains to travel across in the future with electrification of the line.” suggesting that the line on the bridge will be reinstated and later will be electrified. It then goes on to say “The bridge will also be bigger to allow for future upgrades of increasing the number of tracks from 2 to 4…….” Does that mean an increase in the number of tracks ON the bridge or UNDER the bridge? There doesn’t seem to be anything on the Network Rail website either to answer the question. Does anybody know?
The Calder Valley Line does need a massive upgrade including electrification. Since the Woodhead Line closed and parts of it still remain today.