£64m Transpennine Route Upgrade contract up for grabs
Network Rail has issued a procurement notice for work to upgrade the railway between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, including adding a third line from Standedge to Gledholt.
Those interested in the £64m contract, excluding VAT, should fill out a procurement questionnaire by 10 July. From the applicants, four will be invited to tender. These four will be judged primarily on their technical abilities (70%). Price will carry a 30% weight.
Network Rail is aiming to award the contract by the end of March2027. The contract would last seven years, from 30 April 2027 to 27 April 2035.
The programme of work includes providing W12 gauge clearance throughout three tunnels, signalling work, full route electrification, and making required improvements to the four stations along the route.
You can read the tender notice by searching identifier 2026/S 000-053834 on the government’s Find a Tender portal.
They need to put heads together and think about how to stop the signals being robbed! That’s every week!
By Anon
Does the transpennine run from Sheffield to Manchester, just that it’s never mentioned
By [email protected]
This is the most difficult part of the upgrade with tunnels, viaducts and many historic and rural villages along the way, whose residents stand to suffer years of upheaval for no reported benefit, other than watching faster trains whizzing through from Manchester to Leeds. TRU are proposing to clear whole woodlands for temporary compounds and shut main roads for months. The environmental and economic damage of these works is huge and residents are fighting them. Whoever takes this on is going to have a tough time!
By Anonymous
Reopen the third line between Stalybridge and Diggle, that was closed decades ago, for freight trains and local stopping trains to take pressure off the main line and provide new/old local train stations.
By Anonymous
The most pointless scheme ever devised. There is already a modern W12 gauge tunnel under the Pennines. The tories closed it forty years ago and gave it to their mates for ten thousnad quid! You couldn’t write it! Woodhead needs re-opening to Dunford Bridge then a new line built to Morley – voila – no nine miles of tunnel electrification at a stroke! The capacity to build and re-open further links opens up so many route options at such little cost that no wonder it frightens fee hungry consultants to death. Come on guys – put national interests in front of company profits for once and see the BIG picture!
By Old and Cynical
This upgrade is taking to long.
By Anonymous
Totally agree with @Old and Cynical, if they nationalise National Grid then that could be achieved as well as sort out the delays with grid connections due to profit margins and shareholders. We need better and fit for purpose infrastructure which can and should be quickly deliverable.
By GetItBuilt!
It probably will be an annoyance for those residents who live there over the next few years but presumably some of them at least recognise they live in a society which is not entirely structured around their personal needs. When they get on a train from Marsden or Todmorden they will surely reflect on how 150 years ago some locals probably didn’t like the concept either. Some of them might even have kids who will appreciate being able to find employment anywhere across the M62 corridor with enough confidence trains will run frequently and reliably to make their lives a bit easier. Or maybe we should just do nothing.
By @10.36 anon
Whilst acknowledging upgrading the Stalybridge to Huddersfield line has a number of technical challenges, I feel a timeframe of 8 years to complete a 14 mile route says all we need to know about infrastructure delivery in this country. Too slow, too expensive.
By Anonymous
@10.36 anon as someone who lives in Marsden, has worked in Manchester for 23 years and commuted to Liverpool for 2 years, the current system is doing ok. I agree with putting in extra lines to allow faster trains to pass stopping services, replacing signals, and upgrading accessibility at stations, what I question the need for is the full electrification of the line. It is this that causes the issues and the extensive works through the tunnels, the need to replace most bridges along the route and the visual invasiveness of the OHL and gantries over listed viaducts and through conservation areas. What is the clear benefit of electrification when you take this into account as well all the concrete and construction disruption needed for it, including clearing whole woodlands? Why not just have hydrogen trains instead?
By Anonymous
Not hard to explain why electrification is important. 1st is once built the total cost of ownership is lower. The trains are cheaper, mechanically simpler and easier to maintain, last longer and are cheaper to run, plus are lighter and place less wear and tear on the rails. the 2nd is they stop and accelerate faster making journey times shorter on stopping routes.
By Rich X
I don’t know why someone is saying that local residents aren’t going to benefit from this when Marsden and Slaithwaite railway stations are going to be rebuilt and the number of trains they have calling at them per hour will double.
By Anonymous
2:55 pm By Anonymous That has not been committed to!
By Anonymous