TransPennine Express routes between Huddersfield and Leeds, as well as Manchester Airport will be affected between today (Monday 13th), until Friday 17th May.
This is due to engineering works taking place on the lines, in part with the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). In this instance, TRU states that the track in the Morley area will be “completely replaced, providing smoother, more reliable journeys”, which will aim to cut down on the lateness of services at Huddersfield Railway Station.
Many people’s journeys will be affected, as the rail replacement buses are predicted to be slower and less frequent than if the journey was to be done by train.
Manchester Airport to Huddersfield train station commuter Christine Walker, is frustrated as she says: “the number of times I have not been able to get to work because I cannot catch a train to or from Manchester Airport. This is so stressful and ridiculous”.
Another avid rail user, Emma Wrench expresses that: “ I [the public] just want the trains to run smoothly. This has gone on for way too long”.
Last year, the station at Huddersfield was quoted as ‘the worst for cancellations in the UK’, after it was revealed by a 2023 Channel 4 survey that around one in six (15%) of trains running through Huddersfield were cancelled.
In Q4 of 2023, cancellations from TransPennine Express decreased to 6%, due to staff shortages, engineering works, and industrial action from strikes.
The planned engineering works this week will affect services including: Liverpool-Newcastle, and Manchester-Saltburn, which will be diverted between Huddersfield and Leeds through Wakefield Kirkgate, increasing journey times. These disruptions will be along with: Manchester Piccadilly-Hull, which now services will run hourly between Leeds and Hull only; and Wigan-Leeds, which will see services be diverted between Hebden Bridge and Leeds via Bradford.
TRU announced this morning that rail replacement bus services will run hourly between: Manchester Airport-Huddersfield through Stockport, Huddersfield-Dewsbury-Leeds (fast), Huddersfield-Dewsbury-Leeds (all stations), Dewsbury-Leeds (fast), Halifax-Brighouse-Dewsbury-Leeds, which will affect thousands of journeys throughout the week.
For more information on engineering works near you, please visit National Rail for all of the latest, as well as for helpful advice on accessibility and bicycle information in the event of rail replacement disruptions.
Please also be aware that on occasion, replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, especially at peak times. Commuters have been advised to allow extra time for your journeys.