‘Watt’ a milestone – Transpennine Route Upgrade celebrate as 25% of the route is electrified
Sunday 3 August 2025 marked a major step forward for rail travel in the North, as the first electric passenger train officially ran between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton.
This achievement means that 25% of the Transpennine main line is now electrified, laying the foundations for a faster, greener and more reliable railway between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York once complete.
A significant milestone for the Transpennine Route Upgrade East Alliance; who have completed the phase of works on budget and ahead of schedule in several key areas.
To celebrate this progress, Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, visited the route on Tuesday 5 August and travelled on a TransPennine Express bi-mode train between Leeds and York, which will make use of the electrified line from Church Fenton to York. This marks five years of planning, construction and innovation from everyone working on the Transpennine Route East Alliance.
James Ramsden, intermin alliance director, said "I would like to formally acknowledge and extend my sincere thanks to all colleagues involved in the successful delivery of Key Output 3 on E1- a critical milestone in the implementation of Automatic Power Change Over in operation.
"This accomplishment represents a significant step forward for the programme, and it is a testament to the hard work, technical expertise, and dedication of everyone involved. Your collective efforts are both recognised and greatly appreciated."
The completion of this work follows on from another major milestone last year, when electric passenger services started to run between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.
By summer 2027, 40% of the Transpennine Route will be electrified, progressing toward full-route electrification by early 2030. Once complete, the programme is expected to cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year, and enable more rail freight, removing over 1,000 lorries from the road daily.
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express, said: “This terrific achievement by the TRU programme shows what an exciting time it is for the railway in the North of England.
“This milestone will allow our bi-mode Nova 1 (class 802) trains to utilise the electric wires between Church Fenton and York, delivering greener journeys to our customers and giving them a further glimpse of the future, as TRU continues to transform the railway between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
“A lot of work has gone into the delivery of this moment that will deliver benefits for TransPennine Express customers, and I want to thank everyone involved for getting it over the line.”
