Network Rail opens second consultation on Standedge to Gledholt rail upgrade

Network Rail will run a further public consultation from 3 November to 2 December 2026 on its Transpennine Route Upgrade proposals between Standedge and Gledholt in Huddersfield, before applying for a Transport and Works Act Order in spring 2027.

The scheme covers improvements at Marsden and Slaithwaite stations, the reconstruction of bridges and highways, new track and signalling, and the installation of overhead line equipment to power electric trains, Network Rail said in its announcement on 20 October.

A Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO), approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, is required to deliver parts of the scheme. Network Rail said it would consider feedback from the new round and, where appropriate, refine the proposals before submitting its application.

The consultation follows the completion of a 16-day block of Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) works in Huddersfield, which ended on 4 October. James Richardson, TRU managing director, said: "Completing this latest phase of work is down to the dedication, skill, and teamwork of our teams."

The timetable

The submission date has moved. When Network Rail launched the first consultation in February 2026 it said it expected to submit the TWAO application to the Secretary of State later that year. The 20 October release now gives spring 2027, while Network Rail's project page refers to early 2027.

The first consultation was originally scheduled to run from 16 February to 27 March 2026. On 31 March Network Rail extended it to 24 April 2026 and added a drop-in event at Marsden Mechanics on 18 April, following in-person events at Slaithwaite Community Centre on 24 February and Marsden Mechanics on 26 February.

Network Rail said that first round generated a high volume of feedback and that it had adapted its proposals where possible. The new round seeks views specifically on the areas that have changed and on new design proposals.

The events

Updated plans will be available online from 3 November through a virtual consultation room. Two in-person events are planned:

• Tuesday 10 November 2026, 3:30pm to 6:30pm, Slaithwaite Community Centre, Bank Gate, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5DL
• Wednesday 11 November 2026, 3:30pm to 6:30pm, Marsden Mechanics, Peel Street, Marsden, Huddersfield, HD7 6BW

Network Rail's project page also says it is proposing a number of temporary work compounds to deliver the scheme.

Consents along the route

The Standedge to Gledholt order is the latest in a sequence of TWAO applications on the Transpennine route. Network Rail submitted its application for the Stalybridge to Diggle (Saddleworth) scheme on 7 November 2025. That scheme includes relocating Mossley station and upgrading Greenfield station.

The order for the Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury) section of the Transpennine Line was applied for on 31 March 2021, and the Department for Transport published its approval decision letter on 27 June 2022, according to GOV.UK.

Work in Huddersfield

The TRU said the Huddersfield works between 19 September and 4 October 2026 installed two new lines of track through the area, including more than 2km of new track, and more than 50 overhead line equipment masts. Preparation works were also carried out at the A62 Leeds Road bridge ahead of its reconstruction to accommodate electrification.

The programme has confirmed that Huddersfield station will close for 38 days after the final service on Thursday 24 December 2026, reopening on Monday 1 February 2027.

The programme

Network Rail describes the TRU as a programme across the 70-mile route between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds, and says it is electrifying the whole route.

In December 2023 the Department for Transport announced a £3.9bn funding boost for the upgrade, taking the government's total investment to £6.9bn. The DfT said the completed, fully electrified route would offer up to eight trains an hour and cut Manchester to York journey times by 10 minutes, with completion in the mid-2030s.

The Standedge to Gledholt consultation closes on Wednesday 2 December 2026.