Huddersfield line

Huddersfield line
First TransPennine Express Class 185 Desiro at Mossley in 2014
Overview
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	West Yorkshire North West England
Service
Operator(s)	TransPennine Express Northern Trains DB Cargo UK GB Railfreight Freightliner Direct Rail Services
Technical
Line length	49 miles (79 km)
Track gauge	Standard gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map (Click to expand) Show map Legend Cross Country Route to York / North TransPennine to Hull Leeds Hallam Line / Pontefract line Leeds Central Harrogate line to Harrogate / Airedale line / Wharfedale line Copley Goods Calder Valley line Cross Country Route/ East Coast Main Line Farnley and Wortley Leeds New Line Cottingley White Rose (Proposed opening) Churwell Morley Morley Tunnel Batley Staincliffe & Batley Carr Dewsbury to Bradford Exchange Ravensthorpe to Wakefield to Bradford Mirfield Leeds New Line Calder Valley line Bradley Deighton Kirkburton branch Huddersfield Viaduct Newtown Goods Yard Huddersfield Penistone Line Longwood and Milnsbridge Golcar Slaithwaite Marsden Limit of West Yorkshire Metro area Standedge Tunnels Limit of Transport for Greater Manchester area Diggle Micklehurst Line Saddleworth Delph Donkey Moorgate Greenfield Delph Donkey to Oldham Mossley Scout Tunnel Micklehurst Line Stalybridge Glossop line / Hope Valley line Ashton-under-Lyne Guide Bridge to Oldham to Stockport Fairfield Fallowfield Loop line Droylsden Gorton Clayton Bridge Hope Valley line Park Ashburys Calder Valley line Miles Platting Ardwick West Coast Main Line / Styal line Manchester Victoria Manchester Piccadilly Ordsall Chord Manchester–Preston line Liverpool–Manchester lines Liverpool Lime Street Not served by Huddersfield Line services Show route diagram

The Huddersfield line is the main railway line between the English cities of Leeds and Manchester, via Huddersfield. It is one of the busiest MetroTrain lines. The route travels south-south-west from Leeds through Dewsbury. After a short westward stretch through Mirfield, where it runs on the ex-L&YR section, it continues south-west through Huddersfield, using the Colne Valley to its headwaters. The long Standedge Tunnel, just after Marsden, crosses under the watershed; the majority of the run down to Manchester is in the Tame Valley. From Manchester, some services continue to Manchester Airport and others to Liverpool.

In November 2011, the Government announced that this route would be electrified,^[1] to be completed by 2022;^[2] however, there have been multiple delays. It is currently subject to the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which is an element of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands that was announced in November 2021.^[3]