Atkins supports Network Rail in submission of Transport and Works Act Order for Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU)

The Transpennine Route Upgrade rail infrastructure programme has reached a major regulatory milestone today with the submission of the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) for the Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury) section.

Supported by Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, the TWAO, subject to approval, will enable railway infrastructure investment providing improved stations, doubling the number of tracks, electrifying the lines and facilitating service improvements between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury).

The plan forms part of the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade, which is a long-term programme that will deliver more frequent and reliable train services along the 76-mile route from Manchester to York, via Huddersfield and Leeds.

Ed Lacey, Project Director at Atkins and TWAO Delivery Manager, said: “The delivery team for the Order has worked tirelessly over the past two years to achieve this milestone and can now rightly celebrate their efforts, with timely submission to the Department for Transport. The environmental surveys, impact assessments and Environmental Statement that Atkins produced are a critical component to the Order’s success which will help to unlock rail investment in the North.”

Atkins has worked alongside the TRU West Alliance to help secure the necessary consents, environmental assessments and public and stakeholder consultation for the TWAO.

Neil Holm, Transpennine Route Upgrade Director for Network Rail, said: “We know improvements are needed on this section of the line between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury) and submitting the Transport and Works Order Act is a major milestone in the project to upgrade the route and better connect the North.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges to our extensive public and stakeholder consultation, but we continued to hold our events virtually and made the plans available online. We want to thank everyone who has provided feedback, which has been vital in shaping the plans.”

Now the application has been formally submitted, a decision is expected to be made by early 2023. If successful, work will begin on site later that year. 

This milestone builds on Atkins’ recent experience of delivering TWAO for major rail schemes including Stafford Norton Bridge and East West Rail. 

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About Atkins

Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 18,300 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. We build long-term trusted partnerships to create a world where lives are enriched through the implementation of our ideas. You can view Atkins’ recent projects here.

About SNC-Lavalin

Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world. SNC-Lavalin connects people, technology and data to help shape and deliver world-leading concepts and projects, while offering comprehensive innovative solutions across the asset lifecycle. Our expertise is wide-ranging — consulting & advisory, intelligent networks & cyber security, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and sustaining capital—and delivered to clients in four strategic sectors: EDPM (engineering, design and project management), Infrastructure, Nuclear and Resources, supported by Capital. People. Drive. Results. www.snclavalin.com