Transpenninexpress

Manchester Piccadilly to York

The main rail line over the Pennines via Huddersfield, sees four Transpenninexpresses plying the route every hour. The line climbs or falls almost continuously for 43 miles, the only level section being inside Standedge Tunnel, the major engineering feature of the line.

The tunnel is the fourth longest on the national network at 3 miles 66 yards. Both it and the other major tunnel at Morley are seen (and heard) from the driver's cab with the aid of additional lighting.

Today's route incorporates the lines of various pre-grouping companies with no less than ten significant junctions being traversed between Manchester and Leeds. Our class 158 Express then continues to York over another three - the last of which brings us onto the East Coast Main Line. As well as gradients, junctions and tunnels, the route also features track circuit block signalling.

Last, but not least Yorkshire ITV's Geoff Druett tells of the fascinating history.