For nine days engineers on Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) have
worked around the clock, bringing passengers closer to a fully
accessible station.
From 17 June to 25 June, engineers completed a number of major
upgrades at Morley Station which included the construction of new
platforms, the initiation of old platform demolition, a full
signalling recontrol to Network Rail’s York Rail Operating Centre
and the installation of a brand-new footbridge.
Despite challenging weather conditions and soaring temperatures,
the next phase of upgrades was successfully completed on time,
with the railway re-opened earlier this morning.
Sarah Thompson, Sponsor for Transpennine Route
Upgrade said, "I want to say a big thank you to
passengers for bearing with us over the last nine days as our
engineers completed these major upgrades at Morley station.
We understand that there is no right time to complete work
that impacts rail travel, so really appreciate the patience and
support of passengers while it has taken place.
Despite the very warm weather, our engineers have made great
progress and we’re really excited to officially open the station
later this year."
While the railway was closed, work also took place in Batley
where a new footbridge, which will replace Lady Anne level
crossing, was opened to the public. The new footbridge will
improve safety as it stops the need for anybody to have direct
contact with the railway. The footbridge, which is just under 40
metres in length was installed in May and has been carefully
designed to blend into the surrounding environment.
Tony Baxter, Regional Director for the East at
Northern, said: “We’re really grateful for the
patience of all of our customers over the past nine days whilst
work has been taking place to rebuild Morley station. We know
that this work has been disruptive, but we’re delighted to be
able to welcome our customers back on board our trains.
Though it’s been a case of some ‘short term pain for long
term gain’, when the new station opens fully later this year, the
improved accessibility it will deliver will be absolutely
transformational for our customers and the wider community
Once complete, the upgrades at Morley Station will not only
enhance the overall aesthetics but also improve passenger
experience. The extended platforms will allow longer trains with
more seats to stop at the station, while the new lifts and
footbridge will provide increased accessibility for everybody.
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for
TransPennine Express, said, “It’s fantastic to
see the significant upgrade work at Morley station completed,
which will provide long-term benefits for customers, at Morley
and right across the region as part of the TRU programme.
I would like to thank customers for their cooperation whilst
the important construction work took place.”
The Transpennine Route
Upgrade is set to revolutionise rail across the north of
England by delivering a fully electrified railway between
Manchester and York, improving stations along the route and
upgrading a number of bridges and level crossings.
Notes to Editors
We’re transforming journeys across the North, better connecting
towns and cities through more frequent, faster trains, running on
a cleaner, greener and more reliable railway.
TRU will bring passengers:
- More trains to choose from and more seats. Our improvements
will enable more trains to run between Manchester, Huddersfield,
Leeds and York with up to six fast services every hour between
Leeds and Manchester and up to two stopping services for local
connectivity.
- Faster journeys so you can travel to your favourite towns and
cities more quickly. Our fastest journey times are forecast to be
63-66 minutes between Manchester and York and 41-42 minutes
between Manchester and Leeds.
- More reliable journeys with trains that run on-time
- Better stations across the Transpennine route, bringing
passengers a better travel experience through improved, more
accessible station
The multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) will
bring this line into the 21st century with 76-miles of fully
electric, digital railway. Our plans include:
• Electrifying the whole route between Manchester and York via
Huddersfield and Leeds
• Installing a new digital signalling system along the
Transpennine route
• Doubling the number of tracks from two to four between
Huddersfield and Westtown in Dewsbury.
• Station improvements along the route to enhance customer
experience, comfort
and accessibility
• Improving the railway on diversionary routes to allow more
trains to run, to help
keep passengers and freight moving while the core Transpennine
route is closed to
deliver essential upgrades. This will provide capacity and
reliability improvements
for future too.
By the middle of the decade, we’re aiming to run electric local
services between Manchester and Stalybridge – meaning better,
greener and more reliable trains for passengers.
The total forecast cost range for the Programme is currently
£9bn-£11.5bn and the expected completion dates of 2036 to 2041
for full realisation of benefits. However, the majority of
benefits will be realised by the early 2030s.
