Major railway station upgrade remains on track

Significant progress has been made at Huddersfield Railway Station as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, (TRU) nearly a year after work began.

The project involves bringing the station up to modern standards, while preserving the cultural heritage of the Grade I listed building.

The station has one of the few remaining “Euston style” roofs on the operational railway. The trainshed canopy will be carefully preserved.

Restoration of the roof canopy over platforms one and four is in progressing. Scaffold towers and a raised working platform are currently in place.

Works to date include grit blasting to remove rust and old paint, steelwork repairs and painting at the Manchester end of the roof canopy.

Grit blasting has concluded on the Leeds end of the enclosed roof canopy, with steel strengthening and repair now taking place on this section.

A new lantern structure will be reinstated along the length of the roof to replicate the original which had been removed some time ago.

Another part of the project is the dismantling of the Grade II listed tearoom on the island platform – built in 1886 – ahead of its relocation.

Primarily consisting of timber match-boarded panels, making it one of the few remaining timber railway buildings still in use, it was recently taken down in 8,000 different pieces and is now being stored before being reinstated on the remodelled platform.

Relocation of the tearoom was necessary to accommodate the station redesign.

Paul Sumner, TRU senior sponsor, said: “We’re pleased with what the programme has achieved in this first year of work at Huddersfield station and are confident that we’re well on our way to delivering the upgrades the town deserves and the North needs.

“We remain committed to ensuring the station can serve the people of Huddersfield and beyond for years to come, whilst protecting its historic significance.”

Chris Nutton, major projects & TRU director at TransPennine Express, added: “The work at Huddersfield really shows what TRU is all about, with major upgrades across the board, like the start of the restoration of the iconic roof canopy, but also with train operating companies, Network Rail and specialist contractors all working hand in hand to transform this historic station.

“We’d like to thank all the people that have played a part in the coming together of this massive project, and I couldn’t be more excited about the changes we will see happen over the years to come.

“These changes will truly benefit our customers and make our 177-year-old station ready for its next chapter.”

Just to the north of the station at Hillhouse, TRU will build a light maintenance depot and future freight site to replace the current station sidings.

The work includes installation of five lines of track and welfare facilities, providing new and improved facilities so staff can undertake the cleaning and maintenance of trains.

It will be a fully electrified facility, enabling better flexibility and growth for the railway with capacity to hold approximately 24 carriages.