On Thursday, 27th February 27, Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy visited Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire to view progress with the Transpennine Route Upgrade project.

Accompanying Lord Hendy was Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, local schoolchildren and Transpennine Route Upgrade apprentices.

They placed a time capsule in Ravensthorpe, to mark the project’s success so far and to commemorate Railway 200, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.

The time capsule will sit under the foundations of the new viaduct at Ravensthorpe, and is the first on the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

It includes a letter to the finder, a rail ticket from Manchester to York, a dated local newspaper, and schoolchildren’s designs of how they envisage the railway looking 200 years. It is expected to be in place for hundreds of years.

At Ravensthorpe, a new viaduct and fly-over is being constructed at one of the biggest civil-engineering sites in the country.

This work will allow the number of tracks to be doubled from two to four to allow faster trains to pass slower ones, enabling quicker journey times and increased capacity across the Pennines, and to allow the station to be relocated.

Before work started at Ravensthorpe, a possible historic small settlement was found that could date back to Roman times. Another major project is being undertaken to upgrade the Grade I listed station at Huddersfield so that many of the wider benefits of the Transpennine Route Upgrade can be realised.

“We are upgrading rail links across the north – slashing journey times and investing in frequent, greener, and more reliable services between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. Ravensthorpe is one of several new stations which will have better facilities and improved accessibility. Transforming transport links is key to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education, and businesses in our communities, including Ravensthorpe, whose new station alone is supporting the delivery of 4,000 new homes.”

Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister

“Having better transport across the north is imperative to growth. No matter where you’re going or where you’re coming from, you should be able to get on a train that’s on time and can get you there quickly and reliably. That’s why the work we’ve seen today is so important, to connect both sides of the Pennines and get people to where they need to be. This is the biggest infrastructure project underway in the North of England and it’s great to hear how it’s being delivered on time and on budget.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire