The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has marked a major step forward with the first electric passenger train operating between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton. This milestone, reached on Sunday 3 August 2025, means that 25% of the 70-mile Transpennine main line is now electrified.
The development lays a significant foundation for a future of faster, more reliable, and environmentally friendly rail services across the North, particularly between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York.
This phase of electrification between Leeds and York has been completed on budget and ahead of schedule in several areas.
To celebrate the achievement, Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander travelled on a TransPennine Express bi-mode train from Leeds to York on Tuesday 5 August. The journey made use of the newly electrified section, highlighting five years of ongoing planning and construction by the TRU team.
James Richardson, Managing Director of the 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… enabling greener, faster, and more reliable journeys. The improvements are already bringing economic and social benefits… We remain committed to delivering this transformative programme on time and on budget.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects & TRU Director at TransPennine Express, added:
“This milestone will allow our bi-mode Nova 1 trains to utilise the electric wires… delivering greener journeys to our customers and giving them a further glimpse of the future.”
Rob Warnes, Strategic Development Director for Northern, said:
“This is a significant step forward for rail travel in the North… bringing us closer to delivering even faster, greener, and more reliable journeys for our customers.”
Transpennine Route: 2030 completion target
This achievement follows the earlier milestone in 2024 when electric services began running between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.
By summer 2027, 40% of the Transpennine route is expected to be electrified, with full electrification due by early 2030. Once completed, the TRU programme is projected to cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year and enable a significant increase in rail freight, removing over 1,000 lorries from the roads daily.
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