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Huddersfield railway station improvements

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Bylina

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I have some information about some new station improvements to Huddersfield railway station. I couldn't find an existing thread so I started a new one. :D

A recent planning application submitted to Kirklees council shows that First Transpennine Express want to:

A) Convert a training room in the stations right wing into a first class lounge

B) Install 3 fully glazed waiting rooms on platforms 1, 2 and on the island platform between platforms 4 and 8.

C) Install Long Stay Car Parking Lighting

D) 2 of the documents also hinted at the fact they may relocate the ticket barriers from inside the ticket hall to just outside the doors leading to platform 1.

View the application here: http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/business/planning/application_search/detail.aspx?id=2015/91272


Another application from 2013 shows that they are going to hopefully install a wall cladding system and better lighting in the subway to improve the look and atmosphere of the subway.

View the application here: http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/business/planning/application_search/detail.aspx?id=2013/91588

Also a document from the West Yorkshire combined authority in January 2015 outlines some more future improvements to the station.

''The Huddersfield Station Gateway scheme aims to make improvements for rail customers accessing Huddersfield Railway Station from the north-west of the town. Current options being considered are the incorporation of a station car park into the St. George’s development alongside a new subway entrance to the station from the development. This is of primary benefit to rail users who currently use St George’s Warehouse car park. By reducing walking access times to the station from the car park, the project also aims to address supressed demand for rail station parking.

An initial study is planned to establish car parking demand at the station and undertake parking demand modelling. Survey work will be completed by February 2015.''
http://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294968326

Other documents (including some more recent documents which I could not find again) including Initial Industry Plan Supporting Document - Definition of proposed CP5 enhancements September 2011 shows that improvements to Huddersfield railway station include outline future capacity improvements to Huddersfield railway station these include.

A) Potential construction of new through platform (number 9)

B) Potential extension of platform 1 eastwards to provide a longer Penistone bay (platform 2) to accommodate peak hour train lengthening on the Sheffield – Penistone route

C) Potential extension of platform 4; and potential remodelling of the east end station layout to give longer platforms 5, 6 and 8 and access to the stabling sidings.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...USCll9JV42OF2NAJw&sig2=N05Wo1ADXa7My7A4OjqIJA

So lots of improvements are proposed for Huddersfield and I expect there will be some more solid information on the possible capacity improvements in the coming months. :D
 
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Bylina

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Also details are emerging about the Huddersfield Station Gateway development plan. The latest figure is that the station will get a £70 Million redevelopment.

So far what has been confirmed is the development of a Multi-storey car park, along with a new station entrance and subway extension to integrate the proposed car park to the station. In addition there will be highway improvements to help improve the flow of traffic around the station. Those improvements are expected to cost around £27 Million. So I wonder what the other £43 Million will be spent on. Anyone got any idea? or more information?

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/27m-plans-multi-storey-car-14107804

Page 14: https://democracy.kirklees.gov.uk/documents/s21406/Scrutiny Briefing -- 18th Jan 2018_ 3 2.pdf

I would have posted this on the Huddersfield Railway station improvements thread I started 2 years ago but it has been locked :(
 

61653 HTAFC

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If the plan is to provide a new entrance on the North side of the station, as it sounds, I hope that the main taxi rank will be moved to that side too. This would vastly improve the environment of St. George's Square by removing one of the main hazards to pedestrians visiting the town. It would also mean that most taxi users would reach their destinations quicker as their cabs wouldn't have to tackle the bizarre one-way-systems within the town centre.

I haven't visited the Examiner article linked above due to the issues with their (and most local newspapers) website, but are the previous plans for a new platform on that side of the station still alive? With the changes to services through Huddersfield forthcoming, the need for such a platform seems to have diminished. The Kirklees .pdf suggests that the council expect the "partial electrification" proposal to be the option taken forward, which in my view would be a huge mistake. If complete electrification is given the green light, the platform situation at Huddersfield (providing capacity for reintroduction of electric stopping services of sufficient length) becomes more relevant.

The current length of platforms at Huddersfield for terminating services is an issue for the future, as currently anything longer than 3x23m towards Leeds can only use P4, which is also the only available platform for terminating services to/from Manchester. One advantage of the (hopefully temporary) replacement of the all-shacks services is that perhaps the limitations of the bay platforms (the 40m P5 & 70m P6) can be addressed. However at the present time P4 at HUD is one of the only opportunities for Eastbound expresses to overtake the semi-fasts, which may further reduce capacity for the two remaining local services (Bradford and Castleford) on that side of the station.

I assume that the details of how the new timetable will work are close to being finalised, though I'm not aware of them at the present time.
 

lejog

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I assume that the details of how the new timetable will work are close to being finalised, though I'm not aware of them at the present time.

An initial May timetable may be found in OpenTrainTimes , including platform numbers. Haven't you seen this thread?
 

alexl92

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I used to live 5 minutes' walk from Huddersfield Station and use it regularly. I understand why they want to make better use of the land behind the station, but I'm not sure that there's necessarily the demand for a multi-storey. Also, won't some land from the old goods yard be needed for expanding station capacity? Does anyone know if there's a plan for the Warehouse itself?
 

Bylina

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I used to live 5 minutes' walk from Huddersfield Station and use it regularly. I understand why they want to make better use of the land behind the station, but I'm not sure that there's necessarily the demand for a multi-storey. Also, won't some land from the old goods yard be needed for expanding station capacity? Does anyone know if there's a plan for the Warehouse itself?

Well Huddersfield Railway station sees over 5 Million passengers a year (second busiest station is West Yorkshire) so yes I would definitely say there is demand for one. Wakefield Westgate sees 2.5 Million passengers a year and has a huge multi-storey car park.

I not sure weather there are any plans to expand the station I haven't seen anything about plans for a new platform for years. We don't fully know yet what the £70 Million upgrade will include, it might include station expansion but I don't know. We will have to wait and see.

The old warehouse is due to be converted into office space, the owners of that are one of the parties pushing for the station upgrades and the multi-storey car park. All those office workers (if they use a car) need somewhere to park. More information about it here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...ll=53.64858717531198,-1.7848143072266112&z=16
 

61653 HTAFC

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Not sure I'd use the Wakefield Westgate car-park as evidence to support building a big multi-storey, as it rarely (in my experience) gets more than 1/3 full*. The only time I've seen it nearly full was coming back from the Play-off final in May.

*=the usual caveats for anecdotal evidence apply here, of course!
 

Bylina

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Not sure I'd use the Wakefield Westgate car-park as evidence to support building a big multi-storey, as it rarely (in my experience) gets more than 1/3 full*. The only time I've seen it nearly full was coming back from the Play-off final in May.

*=the usual caveats for anecdotal evidence apply here, of course!

A fair point, I didn't realise it was so underused.

From my extensive experience of using Huddersfield Railway station, the car park round the front of the station is almost always full and the surface car park next to the warehouse is usually pretty full as well, even though it has a poor surface and the fact you have to walk all the way round to access the station. Also at this point we don't know how big this multi-storey car park (MSCP) will be.

I know discussions about the station plan and the car park have been in progress and planning for over 18 months so I think if there wasn't sufficient demand for a MSCP it wouldn't have been proposed. I think a new car park directly connected to the station combined with increasing passenger numbers and the development of the warehouse into a lot of office space will no doubt mean there will be more than enough demand for the car park.
 

Tractor37

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The current length of platforms at Huddersfield for terminating services is an issue for the future, as currently anything longer than 3x23m towards Leeds can only use P4.

If your meaning trains terminating at Huddersfield from the east then platform 6 is long enough to accommodate a 3x23m trains. 155+153, 158 (3car) or a 185 do fit although it is admittedly tight but these are allowed into platform 6.
 

61653 HTAFC

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If your meaning trains terminating at Huddersfield from the east then platform 6 is long enough to accommodate a 3x23m trains. 155+153, 158 (3car) or a 185 do fit although it is admittedly tight but these are allowed into platform 6.
That's what I said... anything longer than 3x23m must use 4.
 

Andyh82

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Rather than the once proposed Platform 9, some realignment of where platform 8 curves back into the main line meaning platforms 5 & 6 can be extended would probably be a good idea.

Also with the signal box now presumably being defunct, maybe a bay at the West End could be introduced. Of course this would only be required if the ‘All shacks’ to Manchester is ever reinstated.

I’d agree with extending the subway and building a multi storey car park, I’m sure once built the passengers will come. Some sort of drop off access would be idea as it could be accessible directly off Fitzwilliam Street and the A629.
 

Halifaxlad

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Here's a thought (new to this forum by the way) instead of demolishing the signal box to reinstate the bay why not demolish the box and relocate the waiting room/toilets & cafe they're instead? (Keeping the existing wooden facade of course) then you should be able to lengthen platforms 5 & 6. With regards to the rest of this project I hope the canopy could also be restored over these platforms back to its original length.
 

matacaster

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It would be quite nice if the station roof actually protected passengers on platform 1 from the elements. The extant roof does not have the middle bit covered. This was ok until they increased the width of platform 1 when the bay for platform 2 was created. The result is that in wet weather, anyone near to platform 1 edge gets soaked.
 

Senex

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Whatever else they do, they should re-design the layout to get TPE services into and out of the platforms (and even maybe through the station) much faster. The present route of down trains is dire.
 

Senex

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Could you clarify which direction is 'down' on an EW route?
Every route has a defined down and up direction. On the ex-LNW Manchester to Leeds route "down" is towards Leeds. In this case it follows the mileposting, which is from zero at Victoria, but this is not always so. For example, the Liverpool & Manchester line (the Chat Moss line) is mileposted from zero in Liverpool but is down from Manchester to Liverpool.
 

Bylina

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More information has come out about the Huddersfield Railway Station Gateway project. The whole project now has a budget of £70.5 Million which is an absolutely huge amount of money, so it will be interesting to see what the full Huddersfield station project will include. New documents from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority show the project will be broken up into phases, Phase 1 of the project is expected to start in Summer 2019, it will cost £5.5 Million and will include:

- Additional eastern entrances (to provide better passenger access).
- Improvements to existing highway (to facilitate better journeys).
- Creation of a taxi hub off St George’s Square and re-modelling of space vacated (public realm upgrade).
- Land assembly (to deliver later phases of project).

Later phases of the project could include some or all of the following elements:

- Provision of parking (multi-storey and surface) at St George’s Warehouse.
- Subway extension with new western entrance to link the station with the Warehouse site.
- External stair/lift tower to connect the parking to the town centre (public right of way).
- Alterations to rail tracks, signalling and existing station platforms.
- New station platform.

Information from: http://westyorkshire.moderngov.co.u...Summary - Gateway to Huddersfield Phase 1.pdf

And page 23: http://westyorkshire.moderngov.co.u...proposals following the Call for Projects.pdf
 

aylesbury

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Agree about the bed for Felix recommend the book about her ,I hope that the frontage is not spoiled as it really is magnificent.
 

alexl92

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Agree about the bed for Felix recommend the book about her ,I hope that the frontage is not spoiled as it really is magnificent.
The station front is a listed building iirc, so no chance of any mauling.
 

geoffk

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When I was at Huddersfield briefly on 28th May, platform 4, previously used by terminating local trains from Leeds and Manchester Vic, was occupied by the Leeds via Bradford train, with the Wakefield train (a 150) in bay platform 6 at the same time. Both were too long for the very short platform 5. From the above I learn that these are 70m and 40m long respectively so no. 5 should just take a 150 or perhaps only a Pacer or a 153. An extension of no. 5 would enable no. 4 to be freed for TPE services.
 
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61653 HTAFC

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When I was at Huddersfield briefly on 28th May, platform 4, previously used by terminating local trains from Leeds and Manchester Vic, was occupied by the Leeds via Bradford train, with the Wakefield train (a 150) in bay platform 6 at the same time. Both were too long for the very short platform 5. From the above I learn that these are 70m and 40m long respectively so no. 5 should just take a 150 or perhaps only a Pacer or a 153. An extension of no. 5 would enable no. 4 to be freed for TPE services.
5 can take a 2-car 150. On the old timetable, the 2 units allocated to Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate were pretty much always a pair of 2-car Pacers, though P5 was generally only used during the peaks unless something had gone awry. Since the timetable change, the one unit (doable now that it only runs to Kirkgate) has been a 3-car 144 every time I've seen it. This despite it no longer offering a convenient connection with London services.
 

geoffk

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5 can take a 2-car 150. On the old timetable, the 2 units allocated to Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate were pretty much always a pair of 2-car Pacers, though P5 was generally only used during the peaks unless something had gone awry. Since the timetable change, the one unit (doable now that it only runs to Kirkgate) has been a 3-car 144 every time I've seen it. This despite it no longer offering a convenient connection with London services.
Maybe the Wakefield train I saw was a 3-car 144. The freeing up of platform 4 for TPE would certainly increase flexibility when things go wrong, allowing trains to overtake.
 

Andyh82

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More information has come out about the Huddersfield Railway Station Gateway project. The whole project now has a budget of £70.5 Million which is an absolutely huge amount of money, so it will be interesting to see what the full Huddersfield station project will include. New documents from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority show the project will be broken up into phases, Phase 1 of the project is expected to start in Summer 2019, it will cost £5.5 Million and will include:

- Additional eastern entrances (to provide better passenger access).
- Improvements to existing highway (to facilitate better journeys).
- Creation of a taxi hub off St George’s Square and re-modelling of space vacated (public realm upgrade).
- Land assembly (to deliver later phases of project).

Later phases of the project could include some or all of the following elements:

- Provision of parking (multi-storey and surface) at St George’s Warehouse.
- Subway extension with new western entrance to link the station with the Warehouse site.
- External stair/lift tower to connect the parking to the town centre (public right of way).
- Alterations to rail tracks, signalling and existing station platforms.
- New station platform.

Information from: http://westyorkshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s7386/Item 7 - Appendix 6 BC Summary - Gateway to Huddersfield Phase 1.pdf

And page 23: http://westyorkshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s7394/Item 7 - Further capital spend proposals following the Call for Projects.pdf

As is always the case with projects, phase 1 seems a bit weak, nothing particularly exciting.

Phase 2 which is always either so long away it won’t actually happen, or costing much more, it won’t actually happen, is much more exciting. The introduction of a proper car park with direct access would be a game changer in my opinion.
 

Halifaxlad

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What are the trackworks mentioned?

Nothing much mentioned except that later phases could include alterations to rail tracks, existing platforms and the creation of a new platform. It sounds like what was proposed for CP5. See below for extract from the following document: PR13 Initial Industry Plan Supporting Document/Definition of proposed CP5 enhancements/September 2011

HSCAPACITY.png

I find it interesting how proposed capacity schemes seem to be finding themselves amalgamated into these 'Station Gateway' projects.
 
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