RAIL passengers in York and North Yorkshire are being reminded of possible line closures and bus replacement services as work gets underway.

The Transpennine route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York is being upgraded with passengers reminded to check before they travel as they start the upgrade work over weekends throughout March and April.

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Network Rail says that engineers working on the multi-billion-pound project will upgrade tracks in Mirfield and Deighton, complete mining mitigation work around Huddersfield station and undertake work to Huddersfield viaduct.

And that the work will enable trains to achieve higher speeds and enhance the overall reliability of services passing through the area in the future, as the number of railway tracks increases from two to four.

While the railway line is temporarily closed passengers will continue their journeys via diversionary routes and rail replacement buses.

Paul Sumner, Senior Sponsor on Transpennine Route Upgrade said: “This weekend, engineers will be working around the clock to take us one step closer to cleaner, faster and more reliable journeys through Huddersfield.

“The upgrades include new track being installed, work to Huddersfield viaduct and mining mitigations. These upgrades are a crucial component of our broader programme of work, allowing Huddersfield Station to be completely remodelled, including additional longer platforms, and facilitating trains to travel faster through the area”.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the work takes place and remind customers, including those travelling to the football or other events, to check www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or with their respective train operator.”

Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: “These improvement works are 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 takes place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions on some routes and rail replacement buses on others, and we advise customers 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.”

The track upgrades take us one step closer to our vision of creating a cleaner, greener, and more reliable railway system that will bring improved connectivity and travel experiences to passengers traveling across the Pennines.