THE LATEST phase of a multi-billion pound railway upgrade in West Yorkshire has been completed "successfully and on time" - according to project bosses.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has expressed its appreciation to passengers for their patience while parts of the railway line through Huddersfield were closed for 10 days.

From Friday, March 29 to Sunday, April 7, major rail upgrades were completed between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe.

Working around the clock, engineers completed mining remediation work in Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield and upgraded over 700m of track in Deighton and Mirfield. A steady flow of engineering trains could be seen at Mirfield station throughout the last week.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Major earthworks taking place Major earthworks taking place (Image: TRU)

One of the most eye-catching parts of the project took place in Huddersfield, where a giant crane was brought in as a new bridge deck was installed on Huddersfield viaduct.

To keep passengers moving during the upgrade work, diversionary routes and replacement bus services were used.

The work is part of a multi-billion pound Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will transform journeys across the North of England, enabling more frequent, faster trains to run along a fully electrified route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

The final results at Huddersfield station will see the construction of two new platforms, the extension of existing platforms, improved accessibility and track upgrades, with the number of tracks between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe doubling from two to four.

The work will also include the addition of a new stretch of track at Heaton Lodge Junction near Battyeford, Mirfield, where a new curve is being added to improve linespeed. 

Gareth Hope, Sponsor on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said: “I’d like to thank passengers who travelled through Huddersfield over the last 10 days for their patience and understanding during these essential upgrades.

“The work was completed successfully, safely and on time. This takes us a step closer to bringing about major benefits and improvements for passengers travelling along the Transpennine route”.

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director at TransPennine Express said: “The work completed over the past ten days forms a critical foundation of the upgrades Huddersfield station will see in the coming years, enabling benefits across the wider North as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and cooperation whilst these major improvement works took place over the past ten days".