The Anonymous Widower

Proposed Track Layouts Between Huddersfield And Dewsbury

Tracks between Huddersfield and Dewsbury stations are due to be upgraded as part of Network Rail’s £2.9billion project to upgrade the Huddersfield Line between the two stations, that I wrote about in Network Rail Reveals Detailed £2.9bn Upgrade Plans For TransPennine Route.

This document on the Digital Railway web site is entitled Transpennine Route Upgrade SDO1 ETCS – Analysis.

It is mainly about using digital signalling called ETCS on the Transpennine Route, but it does give these track layouts between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

This is the current layout.

This is a full four-track layout.

This is a reduced four-track layout.

As I see it, if the reduced layout can handle the required number of services, it has major advantages over the full scheme.

• There are no changes to track  layout between Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury stations.
• Rebuilding Ravensthotpe station should be a smaller project.
• The current and reduced layout have three tracks between Mirfield and Ravensthorpe stations.
• There are no expensive new bridges to be built.

By using bi-directional running on the centre track between Ravensthorpe and Mirfield stations, which is controlled by ETCS, the track layout is simplified, with three tracks instead of four.

• Slow trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will dive under the Brighouse lines and call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station before going straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury. This is as trains do now.
• Slow trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station before turning South-West  on to Huddersfield. This is as trains do now.
• Fast trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will call in/pass Platform 3 at Mirfield station and then cross over to the top track and go straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury.
• Fast trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 4 at Mirfield station before turning South-West  on to Huddersfield.
• Trains from Brighouse  to Wakefield will call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station and then cross to the centre track and go straight on to Wakefield. This is as trains do now.
• Trains from Wakefield to Brighouse will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station and go straight on to Brighouse.

Note.

1. Platforms at Mirfield station are numbered 1 to 4 from the North
2. The slow lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in black.
3. The fast lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in blue.
4. Passengers can use Platforms 1/2 as a cross-platform interchange between slow Huddersfield-Leeds and Brighouse-Wakefield services.

I also think it likely, that the proposed layout will improve the timetable.

Conclusion

I think it is highly likely that the reduced four-track layout will be used.

Unless of course something better is devised.

August 29, 2019 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Dewsbury Station, Huddersfield And Westtown Upgrade, Huddersfield Line, Huddersfield Station, Mirfield Station, TransPennine Upgrade