An £11.5 billion project to transform the railway between York and Manchester has reached a crucial phase, with large-scale works currently taking place in West Yorkshire. Here, the T&A's Will Kilner picks out the 7 Wonders of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.....
We have a tendency to look back with admiration at the engineering and infrastructure achievements of the past, without fully appreciating the significance of present-day projects.
In the case of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), some of the most ambitious railway engineering we have seen for many decades in the North of England is taking shape before our very eyes.
After several years of progress, we have reached a point-in-time where a line largely constructed during the ‘railway mania’ of the 1840s and 1850s is transforming into a high-performing, fully-electrified route fit for the modern era.
To get a feel for this once in a generation project, I took a look at some of the key worksites along the route - and selected what I regard as the 7 Wonders of the TRU. With the Telegraph & Argus being Bradford-based, I've focused on West Yorkshire in the list below.
The new 'Baker Viaduct' in Ravensthorpe
I only really appreciated the true scale of this ambitious undertaking as I walked towards the 350-metre long structure along a riverside path.
Looking up, it's hard not to be impressed by the imposing 2,400-tonne viaduct, named in honour of renowned railwayman Stuart Baker.
Beam installation on the Baker Viaduct across the River Calder (Image: TRU)
The project reached a landmark this summer when beams were installed connecting the structural steelwork either side of the River Calder.
It means the new viaduct, with space for four tracks, now spans two waterways, having crossed the historic Calder & Hebble Navigation Canal last year.
Despite the march towards a modern railway, I was constantly reminded of the Transpennine route's history during my visit to Ravensthorpe.
My attention was drawn to a pair of magnificent bridges dating back to 1847, which currently carry the railway across the river and canal. Both have cast iron spans and Gothic arches, and are inscribed 'Joseph Butler & Co. Stanningley Iron Works'.
These listed bridges, which will be retained by Network Rail as redundant assets when the railway is diverted onto Baker Viaduct, provide a sharp contrast in engineering styles - a fine example of new and old sitting side by side on the TRU.
Baker Viaduct in Ravensthorpe (Image: T&A)
Major earthworks have taken place in the so-called 'Ravensthorpe Triangle' to allow the viaduct to be connected to a grade-separated flyover junction via a large embankment.
Last year, about 130,000m ³ of material was placed for earthwork structures like embankments and retaining walls, with a similar volume expected to be placed this year.
Meanwhile, a brand-new Ravensthorpe station is to be built 200m west of its original site, to allow passengers in the future to access services to both Leeds and Wakefield.
New 1km section of fast track at Heaton Lodge
Heaton Lodge Junction, between Mirfield and Huddersfield, is located in a semi-rural area close to Battyeford.
It's a charming place for a stroll, with a canal running along the north side of the junction and a characterful country lane to the south.
However, capacity and linespeed improvements were needed at a junction viewed by railway experts as the 'eye of the needle'.
An overhead image issued by TRU of Heaton Lodge Junction, with the trackbed and cutting for the new curved section of line visible
To achieve this, TRU chiefs decided a new 1km stretch of gently curved track was needed, running on a new alignment in addition to the existing tracks.
Huge earthworks have taken place to facilitate the new section of track, which will be in a cutting to minimise visual impact on the nearby green spaces.
As I walked along nearby Helm Lane, the trackbed of the new section of track is not visible, suggesting the strategy has been a success.
The new section of railway at Heaton Lodge will smooth out the curve of the line and permit faster line speeds in this section.
However, large mounds of earth - presumably dug out to clear the path for the new track - were very noticeable on land alongside Helm Lane. I believe this earth will be removed and reused on other parts of the TRU at a later stage.
Huddersfield Station canopy refurbishment
Approaching the Grade I-listed Huddersfield Railway Station from St George's Square, it's easy to see why former Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman once described the facade as “the most splendid in England.”
The historic facade of Huddersfield Station (Image: T&A)
For a couple of years, various parts of Huddersfield Station have been shrouded in scaffolding as work to restore its historic roof take place as part of the station's wider transformation for TRU.
Looking down from Westgate, at the Manchester end of the station, onlookers get a great view of the stunning results of the painstaking work carried out to preserve and enhance one of the last examples of a Euston truss canopy.
The restored canopy at Huddersfield Station (Image: T&A)
Before the project began, I remember seeing the canopy at Huddersfield in a poor condition after receiving relatively little attention for several decades, so it was great to return to the station in 2026 to see the excellent restoration.
During the project, slates were stripped off the roof to expose the skeleton of the structure to allow grit blasting and strengthening of the steelwork. Brand new natural slate was then put back on, with the original glass lantern feature reinstated as the finishing touch.
Huddersfield Station was a gloomy run-down station before the TRU works began (Image: T&A)
Further work to the Euston-style canopy was still ongoing at the Leeds end of the station during my visit, where a new footbridge has been constructed.
Meanwhile, work continues on new, longer platforms and canopies as part of the wider remodelling of the station designed to allow longer and more frequent trains to call at the station.
Work on the new canopies on the extra platforms at Huddersfield (Image: T&A)
Completion of the station, alongside the regeneration of the nearby Grade II* listed George Hotel into Yorkshire's first Radisson RED, will give a much-needed boost to this part of Huddersfield, although the expected completion date for the hotel, which is not linked to TRU, has been pushed back to summer 2028.
Shipley depot construction
Anyone passing over the Valley Road bridge on the southern approach to Shipley cannot fail to have noticed the intensive works taking place at the former site of the former Crossley Evans scrapyard.
The TRU programme is investing over £100m in the construction of a new TrainCare Centre on the prominent site.
Work at Shipley depot, with the new retaining wall in place along the boundary of the site (Image: T&A)
The rail depot will initially be used to house and maintain Northern’s fleet of electric trains on the Airedale and Wharfedale Lines while access to their Neville Hill depot in Leeds is restricted during a future phase of TRU in 2028, reducing impact on rail services for customers.
Northern will, though, keep the depot open following the completion of TRU with up to 100 permanent employees.
The site has now been completely cleared and flattened, with all contaminated soil from its former use as a scrapyard moved away.
A visualisation of Shipley Depot (Image: TRU)
During my visit, it seemed the most noticeable work completed so far is the large retaining wall that has been been installed along the western edge of the site, which will enable the safe construction of the main facility. We should start to see some buildings springing out of the ground in the not-too-distant future.
Looking down from the road bridge that crosses the site, it's clear that this is a significant investment for Shipley.
As much as scrapyards are essential and have their place, it feels like the new multi-million pounds depot will be a more impressive sight for people arriving in Shipley.
Relocated Morley Station (mention Ravensthorpe, plus rebuild at Deighton)
Oldest bridge of its kind over a live railway
A little to the east of Cross Gates, the urban sprawl of Leeds opens up into pleasant countryside.
During an autumn walk, I was able to get a close-up look at the work that has taken place to the Grade II listed Crawshaw Woods bridge, located near Shippen House Farm, in the Manston area.
Major changes have been made to the structure, which is the earliest cast iron bridge in the world still in-situ over an operational railway.
How the Crawshaw Woods bridge looked prior to the work
According to Historic England, the Crawshaw cast-iron overbridge was constructed by Stanningley Ironworks, and, together with a demolished bridge, was the first of its kind completed by the firm.
It was designed by renowned Scottish engineer James Walker.
A drawing from a planning document showing how the bridge's arch would be raised
In the First World War, the bridge was the main access bridge to the Barnbow Munitions Factory, which became the most productive British shell factory during that war.
The bridge deck was renewed in 1943 by the London and North Eastern Railway, and again in 1999.
The Crawshaw Woods bridge being lifted back into place earlier this year after the supports for the bridge were raised to create extra clearance for electrifcation of the railway line below (Image: TRU)
Taking account of the bridge's remarkable history, Network Rail was keen to find a way to retain the structure, considering several options before deciding to raise the arch.
Engineers removed and renovated the bridge's cast-iron girders, bridge deck, parapets, and original iron railings.
Now reinstated, the bridge has been raised by about 1.5m to make space for the installation of overhead line equipment for electric trains.
Crawshaw Wood bridge is now back in place, although the masts for overhead line equipment obscure the view to some extent (Image: T&A)
There's no doubt that the masts now in place for electrification have changed the appearance of the railway in this rural setting, but it's fantastic to see the cast iron bridge back in position.
Huddersfield Viaduct strengthening
Appoaching Huddersfield town centre from the suburbs of Birkby, Fartown or Hillhouse, one structure stands out more than any on the townscape.
The Grade II listed Victorian viaduct, built between 1845 and 1847, has required significant work to allow the goals of the TRU to be achieved.
Work to demolished a bridge in John William Street that formed part of Huddersfield Viaduct. It has since been replaced (Image: T&A)
With the viaduct sitting in and amongst terraced houses and a network of roads in a densely-populated urban area, engineering work has had to be carefully planned, making this one of the more challenging parts of the TRU.
Near the station, bridges that form part of the viaduct have been replaced, leading to regular closures of Fitzwilliam Street and John William Street over the last year.
Further along the viaduct, new concrete beams have been lifted into place to strengthen a weak-point of the viaduct at the point where it crosses the A641 Bradford Road/Northgate.
This section of Huddersfield Viaduct on Bradford Road has been strengthened, with cladding now being added to blend in the new concrete sections (Image: T&A)
During my visit, stone cladding was being put in place to cover up the new concrete sections and ensure the new section of viaduct remains in keeping with the surrounding structure.
In recent weeks, numerous masts for overhead line equipment have been installed on the outside the viaduct, moving the project a step closer to creating a four-track electrified railway between Huddersfield and Westtown, near Dewsbury.
While the original construction of the viaduct was a remarkable feat of engineering, the work to strengthen it for the TRU cannot be underestimated.
Deighton to Colne Bridge corridor
In little over a mile of railway, no fewer than five bridges have had to be replaced to allow for electrification and, in some cases, a new track alignment.
At this point, the railway runs broadly parellel to the A62 Leeds Road, to the east of Huddersfield.
The bridges that needed replacing were;
- Whitacre Street, Deighton
- A62 Leeds Road bridge, between Deighton and Bradley
- Wheatley's Colliery Bridge at Bradley
- Colne Bridge Road bridge
- Heaton Lodge Sewage Works bridge
Starting at Deighton, I was struck by the sheer enormity of the work that has taken place - and is still ongoing.
The newly-clad footbridge towers adorned with British Rail logos at Deighton Station (Image: T&A)
A crane was lifting new sections of the remodelled station's footbridge into place, and the new platforms were takign shape nicely.
Huge earthworks have taken place to create extra space for the reconfiguration of the station, while embankment stablisation works - incuding extensive soil nailing - have been carried out.
Whitacre Street remains closed to vehicles, although a brand new road bridge is largely in place to replace the one that was demolished on Christmas Day.
A mere quarter of a mile away, the A62 Leeds Road crosses the railway - with a carefully-managed project underway to replace the old bridge without causing too much disruption to such a key road.
The old Wheatley's Colliery bridge at Bradley being demolished, with its replacement already in place in the background (Image: T&A)
Moving a little further east, you come to the site where the historic Wheatley's Colliery bridge had to be demolished, with a modern replacement now in position.
Next, I reached Colne Bridge Road, where another listed bridge has been partially demolished and replaced, with a similar scenario at the nearby sewage works bridge near Heaton Lodge Junction.
Ballast being laid at Bradley Junction, between Huddersfield and Mirfield, in preparation for four-tracking (Image: Sarah Bell)
As a stretch of railway, this section now looks vastly different to two years ago, with the recent addition of two new tracks and masts for OLE creating a more modern feel.
Only by getting out and about to see the work taking place did I realise the true scale of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. From what I saw, project bosses are making a good job of treading the fine line between preserving much-loved history and creating a railway fit for the modern era.
There are many other impressive aspects of the TRU - but these were my seven personal highlights so far from what is a mammoth project.