As the £11 billion Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) continues, the electrification of the rail line between Church Fenton and York has now been completed, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
The department stated that the upgrades and electrification along the rail line had been finished “on time and on budget”, with the consequence of faster trains and more dependable services for travellers.
What will be the effects of this latest rail line work for passengers?
According to the DfT, quicker trains will reduce journey times between York and Leeds by 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the time it takes for rail passengers to get from Manchester to Leeds (or the opposite direction) will be slashed from 50 minutes to 42 minutes.
These decreased journey times, along with the availability of as many as six fast services an hour, are expected to assist people’s travel around the region for work, business, and recreational purposes alike.
In addition to the upgrades giving passengers the benefit of faster trains, a new signalling system and bridge upgrades will boost the reliability of trains and allow the running of a greater number of services.
The DfT has also said that extensive improvements to stations along the route will enhance accessibility and facilities across northern England’s busiest stations.
“Today is a moment of celebration”
One of the first people to experience the new electrified line, on a journey from Leeds to York, was Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
She commented: “Today is a moment of celebration for a project that will transform train travel for millions of passengers across the North. More reliable, efficient trains are now running on 25% of the full TransPennine route.”
The Secretary of State added that as well as the expansion and improvement of travel options for people making journeys around the region, the upgrade would create more than 5,000 new jobs and support 6,500 new homes, “kickstarting economic growth in the areas that need it most.”
Broader regional benefits could be realised from the improvement work
As a result of the latest upgrade, electric TransPennine Express (TPE) trains will be able to run from Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge and from Church Fenton to York, both ends of the route having been electrified.
The Government has talked up the impacts the improvements to the rail line could have on employment opportunities across the wider region and country.
The DfT has pointed out, for example, that 85% of the TRU workforce is employed within a 40-mile radius of the route. This means, according to the department, that more money is being put in the pockets of local people, and local businesses are being helped to expand their reach across northern England, “giving them the confidence to realise their full potential”.
The department has stated that redevelopments of stations at York and Ravensthorpe will regenerate local areas and provide opportunity for the construction of 2,500 homes.
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