Transpennine Route Upgrade: York-Church Fenton electrification complete

The first electric-powered passenger services have run between Church Fenton and York in a milestone moment for the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

A quarter of the 70-mile route between Manchester and York is now electrified with the first service running on Sunday August 3.

The previous section to have overhead line equipment completed was at the opposite end of the route (Manchester Victoria-Stalybridge) in November 2024.

Network Rail aims to have 40% of the route electrified by summer 2027 and the whole route completed by early 2030.

James Richardson, Managing Director for Transpennine Route Upgrade said: “Electric trains running between York and Church Fenton is a significant step forward in the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme.

“We have reached a key milestone as 25% of the route is now electrified, enabling greener, faster, and more reliable journeys between York, Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester in the future.”

Network Rail said the work was completed on budget and ahead of schedule “in several key areas”.