Bridge replaced and station enhanced in railway line upgrade

Extensive upgrades have been carried out over Christmas and New Year on the Transpennine rail route, intended to enable faster and more reliable journeys between York and Manchester.

In Leeds, Osmondthorpe Lane railway bridge was replaced by a team of Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) engineers.

The new structure, which weighs 200 tonnes, was moved into position in one piece by a self-propelled modular transport vehicle.

Once in position, new tracks and over 270 tonnes of ballast were laid before the railway was handed back ready for passenger services to resume.

A section of Station Road railway bridge in Mirfield was also replaced over the Christmas period, allowing a new accessible station entrance to be constructed, while piling work was completed to support the new platform layout.

In Church Fenton, near York, foundations were installed to facilitate new overhead line equipment, enabling electric trains to run through the area in the future.

Gordon Kells, TRU Interim Managing Director, said: “Over Christmas and New Year, we completed significant upgrades across multiple sites on our route, improving journeys between Manchester and York.

“I’d like to say thank you to our neighbours for their support and everyone that worked over this period, whose efforts contributed to the safe and successful completion of a number of key upgrades, setting us off to a strong start in 2025.”

Commenting on the Osmondthorpe Lane bridge replacement, Andy Stocks, East of Leeds Alliance director for Transpennine Route Upgrade, added: “Our engineers worked around the clock, demonstrating outstanding teamwork and professionalism to replace the old bridge deck with a stronger one.

“This complex task required dedication and commitment from all involved, and the successful, on-time completion reflects the pride we take in delivering quality work that makes a real difference.

“This key milestone takes us one step closer to faster, greener and more reliable services between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.”