The TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is urging passengers travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York this autumn to plan their journeys ahead of time, as it reminds them of track upgrades in the Huddersfield area due to take place every weekend during September and October.

Engineers will replace around 650m of railway track, doubling the number of tracks through the area from two to four, enabling trains to travel faster and improving the reliability of services.

The line through Huddersfield will close to facilitate the upgrades, with diversionary routes and rail replacement buses being provided.

Before that, in August, engineers will upgrade railway bridges in the Huddersfield area on Sundays 6, 13, and 20 and Saturday 19 August. The bridges are being made stronger in order that they can carry the additional railway lines.

TRU explains that upgrading the track is a key component in achieving its aims of creating a cleaner, greener, more reliable railway system, improving connectivity for passengers crossing the Pennines.

Gareth Hope, Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said “Between September and October, we’ll be renewing the railway tracks in Huddersfield each weekend. This work is a key aspect of our wider upgrades and will not only allow for trains to travel at higher speeds in the future, but also increase the reliability of services.”

“We’re committed to ensuring a smooth transition during the upgrades and passengers can rely on a mixture of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses to keep them moving.”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the work takes place and remind customer to check www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or their respective train operators if travelling over this period”.

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: “This vital work is key to the overall modernisation of the railway that will be taking place as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will help deliver a faster and more sustainable service for our customers who travel between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

“We’d like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while this work take place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions, and we advise our anyone to check carefully before travelling. We’ll have extra staff on hand at stations to help customers who are travelling on days affected by this work.”

Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Whilst this work is essential and will lay the foundations for the transformation of Huddersfield station, we appreciate that nobody likes the thought of disruption to their journeys. That’s why we’ve worked hard to keep our customers on trains, with trains running as normal during these works between Sheffield, Barnsley and Lockwood, connecting with just a short bus journey between Lockwood and Huddersfield. I’d like to thank customers in advance for bearing with us whilst this work takes place.”