Network Rail is urging passengers to check arrangements in advance if they plan to travel between Dewsbury and York during October and November, as it will be working on the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

Sections of the railway will close to allow engineers to carry out work, including platform extensions and drainage improvements.

On weekdays from Monday 6 October until Friday 24 October, workers will be at Batley and Dewsbury stations preparing to extend the platforms to 150m and 200m long respectively. The longer platforms will allow longer trains to stop at the stations, with more seats for passengers.

Workers will also carry out bridge reconstructions on this section of the railway.

Network Rail teams will be undertaking rack and drainage renewal work during the same three-week period, which will enable faster and more reliable train services to run.

On the section of the railway between Morley and Leeds, workers will lay foundations for overhead line equipment (OLE) masts. A quarter of the Transpennine route is now electrified, since electric services began running between York and Church Fenton in August.

During the work, TransPennine Express services between Huddersfield and Leeds will divert via Wakefield. Local stations between will be served by a rail replacement bus service.

Over six consecutive weekends from the beginning ot October, Network Rail will be carrying out work between Leeds, York and Selby. The work will include renewing track, upgrading signalling and laying foundations for new overhead line equipment.

Engineers will install a fully accessible bridleway footbridge at Barrowby Lane near Garforth, and will remove the historic cast iron arches at Crawshaw Woods bridge, in preparation for its refurbishment.

Trains between Leeds and York/Selby will be diverted via Castleford during this work, and rail replacement buses will serve local stations.

During the final three of the six weekends – 25-26 October, 1-2 and 8-9 November – Network Rail will be replacing two sets of heavily-used points just south of York to replace two sets of heavily used track points, which more than 100 trains cross every day. During this work, no trains will run between Leeds and York, and rail replacement buses will operate.

“It’s exciting to see the progress being made to improve the railway’s performance and capacity in West Yorkshire, while the next steps are also being taken in the electrification of the route.

“Whilst these improvement works are carried out, we won’t be able to run trains on the line between Ravensthorpe and Leeds. To keep customers on trains as much as possible, we will divert trains between Huddersfield and Leeds via Wakefield, slightly increasing journey times. Rail replacement services will connect Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, and all local stations in between.

“Customers are advised to check before they travel using our digital channels and we’ll have extra staff on hand at key stations to help people get from A to B.”

Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express