Transpennine Route Upgrade: ‘Check before you travel’ warning to rail passengers as major upgrades continue at Lady Anne Level Crossing and Morley station

The work, which is due to take place over Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7, and then on the following weekend, Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14, is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade and will see engineers install a new footbridge at the popular Batley crossing, renew drainage around Morley station and complete signalling testing. This work is all in preparation for nine days of upgrades in June.

Natalie Hewitt, senior sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said: “We want to remind passengers that our engineers will be undertaking some important preparation work at Morley station and in Batley over two weekends in May.

“We know how crucial it is to keep people moving, so we have worked closely with our colleagues at Northern and Transpennine Express. In instances where trains are unable to run via diversionary routes, buses will keep passengers on the move.

“We’re really grateful for the patience and understanding of our passengers while this work takes place, and we look forward to opening the new station later this year.”

Earlier this year, the Batley community had expressed sadness at Network Rail’s decision to replace the iconic crossing, between Howley Street and Rutland Road, with the new bridge.

The plans also see the removal of the historic Batley signal box.

Transpennine Express and Northern will keep passengers on the move by a mixture of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses. Some trains will be diverted via Wakefield while some services between Huddersfield / Brighouse and Leeds via Dewsbury will be replaced by buses.

Those planning to travel should check their journey before setting off via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator’s website.

Chris Nutton, major projects director for TransPennine Express, said: “As major upgrade work to transform Morley station takes place, including improved accessibility at the station, which will provide huge benefits for customers travelling between York and Manchester, there will be some service alterations for TransPennine Express services.

“Customers are advised to check carefully for the latest service alterations before they travel on our website www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/changes-to-train-times; updates will also be available on our social media channels.”

This preparatory work is in advance of the next stage of Morley station upgrades, scheduled to take place from Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, June 25.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade involves the delivery of a fully electrified railway between Manchester and York, with improvements to stations along the route and upgrades to a number of bridges and level crossings.