Huddersfield Railway Station set to close for 30 days as part of £1.5 billion rail electrification works
The station is set to close for a month – twice - as part of a planned modernisation of the region's railways.
The Grade 1 listed station building in St.George's Square is scheduled for modernisation work. (Image: Huddersfield Examiner)
Huddersfield Rail Station set to close for 30 days as part of modernisation work.
The scheme, part of The Transpennine route upgrade will see the eight-mile stretch between
Huddersfield and Westtown just outside
Dewsbury fully electrified and widened to four tracks.
Huddersfield, Mirfield and Ravensthorpe stations are also scheduled to be remodeled, with the grade 1 listed building in St George’s Square, expected set to
see the most change.
Eight bridges will also need to be rebuilt including a narrow bridge over the railway in Colne Bridge Road near to Bradley traffic lights, with work possibly requiring ongoing road closures for up to two years while work is completed.
With the modernisation work due to be discussed at a public inquiry, which will be held at the
John Smith’s Stadium from November 2, documents published ahead of the meeting have given some insight into the scale of expected disruption that could hit the town.
According to documents submitted to the inquiry, the scheme is due to start in January 2023 and be completed in June 2026.
An artist's impression of upgrades to Huddersfield Train Station (Image: Network Rail)
As part of this work, it also revealed that Huddersfield Railway Station will have two closures, in Easter 2024 and again in Easter 2025.
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During these extended periods of closure, the first scheduled at 30 days long, the station will remain completely closed, with rail replacement buses on offer instead of the usual trains.
John William Street and Fitzwilliam Street will be closed for work to be undertaken on the railway bridge, with the work anticipated to take place 24/7 during this period.
Kirklees Council initially raised concerns about the scheme’s scale of disruption to residents and the lack of clear details offered by Network Rail during the four years since the scheme was first discussed back in 2017.
An artist's impression of upgrades to Huddersfield Train Station. (Image: Network Rail)
As a result of this, the council lodged a formal objection, which prompted the public inquiry to take place next month.
Despite the objection, however, the council is not opposed to the investment and actively encourages it - but expressed concerns regarding the disruption to both rail and roads within the region, that are necessary for the scheme to go ahead.
Speaking at a council meeting back in July, when the objection was agreed, Clr Will Simpson, Cabinet member for Greener Kirklees and Culture, said: “This is not a small matter and we don’t object like this for the fun of it.
“A scheme like this will inevitably have a big impact but we have not had proper information or adequate assurances on behalf of our residents.”
An artist's impression of the upgrades to Huddersfield Train Station. (Image: Network Rail)
“I don’t think any of us oppose this investment, we welcome it and we need it. But this is going to cause significant disruption.”
Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for Regeneration, also echoed these concerns, saying that the Department for Transport had behaved “appallingly” and that residents needed to be protected from the disruption as much as possible.Inspector Paul Singleton is set to chair the inquiry, with Network Rail seeking wide-ranging powers under the scheme.
These powers include compulsory purchase of land, the permanent stopping of footpaths and the closure of Huddersfield Broad Canal and the Calder & Hebble Navigation.
Formal objections have also been submitted by The Canal & River Trust and HD1 Developments Ltd, owner of the grade II-listed brick-built warehouse behind Huddersfield station.