TRU Stakeholder Update - January 2026

Good afternoon,

Welcome to the January edition of our Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) monthly stakeholder update. Each month, we share key milestones, news and upcoming activity as we continue transforming the railway across the North of England.

As a multi-billion-pound programme, TRU is more than a railway upgrade - it's a catalyst for economic growth, regeneration and sustainable development. By improving connectivity between key towns and cities, we are helping to unlock new opportunities for communities and businesses across the region.

Through faster, more reliable and greener services for passengers and freight, TRU is driving the Northern economy forward – improving productivity, supporting jobs and skills, and laying the foundation for long-term prosperity.

January's key updates at a glance:

• TRU lays the foundations for a better-connected North as NPR funding is confirmed
• £250,000 awarded through the TRU Community Fund
• Major progress delivered over Christmas & New Year
• TRU Sustainable Development Report 2025 published
• Key delivery milestones confirmed for 2026

TRU FAST FACTS

• TRU is a multi-billion pound railway programme which aims to:
  • Provide 15% quicker journeys between York and Manchester, investing in electric trains and increasing reliability, cutting delay by half.
  • Boosting capacity by a third, offering up to six fast services every hour (from four per hour) between Leeds and Manchester.

• 25% of the route is already electrified, with electric trains now operating between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, and between York and Church Fenton.

• We have created 5000 jobs on TRU to date, and 85% of our workforce com e from within 40 miles of the route. We will create over 8000 jobs during the duration of the programme.
• We are expanding freight provision – so shipping containers can travel from ports on the east and west of the country via rail, helping remove up to 1000 lorries a day from roads across the Pennines. 
• While working on a live railway, we are keeping customers on the move and updated through comprehensive customer handling plans.
• We have delivered three diversionary routes to allow more trains to run and help keep passengers and freight moving during periods of disruption on the main route, while we deliver essential works.

TRU social value impact 

We believe sustainable development is the only way to keep us on track to a better future for rail in the North. Our commitment to people and place continues to deliver results. We are supporting Northern talent, boosting local economies, and creating a more sustainable future.

Our latest totals this period:

Curious about the impact in your area?
We would be happy to share the social value figures for your local community – from jobs and apprenticeships to local business spend and volunteering hours. Just get in touch, and we will bring the story closer to home.

TRU lays the foundations for a better-connected North as NPR funding is confirmed

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves confirmed £1.1bn of funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), supporting planning, design and development work that will unlock benefits for the North from the 2030s.

The £11bn, TRU is already delivering the infrastructure, skills, and capability that future NPR services will build upon, improving east-west rail connectivity and ensuring future services are faster, more reliable and greener. The NPR funding announcement reinforces the importance of long-term, joined-up investment in the North’s rail network.

£250,000 awarded to local communities

We are delighted to announce that 35 local organisations along the Transpennine route have been awarded funding through the TRU Community Fund 2025, with £250,000 invested in projects making a real difference in local communities.

Recently, we visited several successful groups alongside local stakeholders to celebrate the awards and see the projects first-hand. Projects include:

• Transforming an unused industrial unit into a wellbeing hub for families affected by cancer
• Creating a new dining and social space for a local youth club
• Improving playgrounds and outdoor facilities at primary schools.

You can watch the short video to hear directly from some of the groups and learn more about the positive impact these projects will make.

A full list of successful projects is available here.

Christmas & new year works: major progress delivered

Over the festive period, Team TRU successfully delivered a significant programme of work, helping move us closer to faster, greener and more frequent services across the Pennines.

Key progress included:

• Mirfield: track realignment, new signalling, platform extensions, and station upgrades. New lifts will be commissioned later this month, providing step-free access for the first time.
• Huddersfield: continued restoration of the historic roof canopy and viaduct strengthening works.
• Deighton: demolition of Whitacre Street to enable two additional lines, allowing faster services to overtake stopping trains.
• Leeds – York: signalling renewals, track and station upgrades during the planned closure (until Sunday 25 January).

We thank passengers, local communities and businesses for their patience and cooperation while this important work is delivered.

TRU Sustainable Development Report 2025

In December, we published the TRU Sustainable Development Report 2025, setting out the progress we are making in delivering environmental , social, and economic benefits alongside railway upgrades.

The report highlights how sustainability is embedded at every stage of the programme through TRU’s sustainable development strategy, Our Guiding Compass, which sets the direction for environmental, social and economic outcomes.

This means TRU is not only improving rail services, but also supporting cleaner growth, better connectivity, creating skills and employment opportunities, and maximising social and economic value across the North.

Key highlights include:

• 25% of the route electrified
• 3,917 work experience days delivered
• 99 apprentices and 39 graduates recruited
• 155 low carbon composite sleepers installed, cutting carbon by 70% per sleeper
• 98.9% of construction waste diverted from landfill
• 8 biodiversity net gain sites in development

The full report (covering the April 2024 to March 2025) is available to read on our website here.

Key milestones for 2026

2026 will be a major year of delivery for TRU, with station openings, new construction phases and planned blockades enabling critical upgrades.

Key milestones include:

• January: Mirfield Station opens
• February: Ridge Road (A656) bridge works begin
• May: Bradley Junction remodelling (24-day blockade); Crawshaw Woods Bridge reinstated
• June: Dewsbury / Batley blockade (28 days)
• September: Gledholt Tunnel works (16-day blockade)
• November: Cross Gates Access for All scheme
• December: Huddersfield Phase 3 blockade
  
• January 2027: Huddersfield Station opens

We are delivering essential improvements throughout January to April. For more details, please contact us.

Micklefield to Church Fenton - until 25 January
Ongoing major improvement work at Church Fenton, including track remodelling, platform re-alignment at the station and extra track installation.
Trains between Leeds and York will be diverted via Castleford instead of Church Fenton. No trains will run between Micklefield - Church Fenton – a rail replacement bus service will run between York, Church Fenton and Micklefield, for connections to/from stations towards Leeds. Trains between Leeds and Selby/Hull will run.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 31 January & Sunday, 1 February
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 7 & Sunday, 8 February
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Leeds to York/Selby: Saturday, 14 & Sunday, 15 February
Further essential upgrades are taking place in the Micklefield area
Longer distance services will be diverted, while other local services will be replaced by buses.

Leeds to York/Selby: Saturday, 21 & Sunday, 22 February
Further essential upgrades are taking place in the Micklefield area
Longer distance services will be diverted, while other local services will be replaced by buses.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 28 February & Sunday, 1 March
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.

Leeds to York/Selby: Saturday, 28 & Sunday, 1 March
Further essential upgrades are taking place in the Micklefield area
Longer distance services will be diverted, while other local services will be replaced by buses.

Leeds to York/Selby: Saturday, 7 & Sunday, 8 March
Further essential upgrades are taking place in the Micklefield area
Longer distance services will be diverted, while other local services will be replaced by buses.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 4 & Sunday, 5 April
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 11 & Sunday, 12 April
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 18 & Sunday, 19 April
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Mossley to Deighton - Saturday, 25 & Sunday, 26 April
Work includes strengthening work on Huddersfield viaduct, continuation of Huddersfield station works & Deighton station re-build.
Passengers will be kept on the move via diversions and bus replacement services.

Road Closures