Network Rail launches £64m tender for key Transpennine Route Upgrade tunnel works

Network Rail has begun the procurement process for a major package of tunnel and track works on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), with a contract valued at approximately £64 million set to support infrastructure improvements between Stalybridge and Huddersfield.

The specialist package forms part of the wider West of Leeds to Manchester (W2BC) section of the £11.5 billion TRU programme, which aims to transform rail travel across the North by increasing capacity, improving reliability and reducing journey times.

According to the tender notice, the contract will cover tunnel track lowering, slab track installation, gauge clearance works and preparations for future electrification. The agreement is expected to run from April 2027 through to April 2035.

The works will focus primarily on Stalybridge Tunnel and Scout Tunnel, where engineers will lower existing track levels and install slab track systems to create the clearances required for overhead line equipment and larger freight trains.

Network Rail said the project presents significant engineering challenges due to the age and condition of the Victorian-era structures. The programme will require complex temporary works to maintain tunnel stability while construction activities are carried out within constrained environments.

The tunnel package is one element of a broader programme covering a 29km section of railway between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Wider improvements planned under the W2BC scheme include route electrification, signalling upgrades, line speed enhancements, track renewals and station improvements.

The programme will also provide additional freight capability through gauge clearance works in three tunnels and the construction of a third railway line between Standedge and Gledholt.

Standedge Tunnel, one of the most significant structures on the route, is also undergoing upgrades to accommodate electrification as part of the wider TRU programme.

The procurement is being undertaken through a competitive tender process under the Procurement Act 2023. Network Rail has indicated that at least four suppliers will be invited to participate, with the highest-ranked bidders progressing to the invitation-to-tender stage.

The successful contractor will initially be engaged during the design development phase, helping refine construction methodologies, develop delivery strategies and establish target costs for the project.

Subject to funding approvals and budget confirmation, the appointment could then progress into the construction, commissioning and project closeout phases.

Network Rail said the phased procurement approach is intended to provide greater certainty around design development, programme delivery and costs before full construction contracts are authorised.

A contract award is currently expected to be made in March 2027.

The tender marks another significant step forward for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, one of the largest rail enhancement programmes currently being delivered in the UK, with major infrastructure improvements planned across the corridor linking Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.