The new leadership of Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire has visited Huddersfield station and discussed with Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) representatives the benefits that the improvement work will bring to passengers and local communities.

The latest phase of TRU’s improvement work at the station is taking place during a closure of the local stretch of railway that started on Saturday 19 September and will continue until Sunday 4 October.

TRU explained to its visitors how improving the station boosts regeneration in the Huddersfield aea.

A recent study commissioned by Network Rail revealed that planning applications within one-and-a-half miles of Huddersfield station have increased by nearly one third since TRU’s funding was confirmed in 2020.

The programme of work will generate an estimated £1.9 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA), will create almost 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and will support the delivery of close to 1,200 new homes.

During the current closure, which lasts for a total of sixteen days, TRU workers have already:

• renewed track and drainage
• restored Huddersfield station’s historic roof canopy
• extended Huddersfield station’s subway, improving access
• upgraded Deighton station, including extending the platform.

The workers will carry out more tasks before the railway reopens on Monday 5 October, including:

• installing two new lines of track
• platform extension and track layout work at Huddersfield station
• upgrading Deighton station, including installing a new footbridge with lifts for step-free access at the station
• installing overhead line equipment to facilitate future electrification.

Huddersfield is one of the most significant sites across the TRU footprint. Our work at Huddersfield station and on the wider railway will deliver a once-in-a-generation transformation, that will not only improve connectivity but help drive economic growth and wider investment in the town.

People can clearly see the progress we’ve made since work started on site in 2023 and the scale of work being undertaken during this ongoing closure, which will pave the way for real benefits for passengers by early 2027.

James Richardson, TRU managing director