Railway chiefs meet in Manchester to back upgrades to TransPennine route- including more trains to Leeds

Upgrade plans to the TransPennine rail route have been backed by Northern rail chiefs. The support was given at a meeting of Transport for the North.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) s a multi billion-pound programme of railway improvements and will deliver major upgrades on the 70-mile route between Manchester and York. It is hoped this will  transform journeys across the North of England, improving connections between the region’s towns and cities through a more frequent and reliable railway.

 Part of the upgrade includes more trains between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York. There will also be up to six fast services every hour between Leeds and Manchester and up to two stopping services for local connectivity. 

Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said: “It is heartening to see the Government continue to move forward with investment in the TransPennine Route Upgrade and to retain its commitment to the initial stages of the Northern Powerhouse Rail through funding of the Integrated Rail Plan. Our focus as a Board is on a rail service that is reliable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable and we will continue to bring forward credible and affordable long-term proposals for transforming the North’s transport network.

“We are pleased with the programme’s progress which demonstrates how speaking with one voice on key transport investment decisions for the region is necessary, if we are to drive inclusive and sustainable transformational economic growth and rebalance the UK economy.

“We still believe that the TRU should be wholly electrified and be fully gauge cleared for W10/W12 to support the growth in freight movements from our Northern ports, so supporting the North to reach its true economical potential.

“Transport for the North has established a clear role working alongside Government, our member bodies and the wider transport sector, to deliver improved outcomes, such as those outlined in the TRU, for our residents and businesses.”