FASTER and more frequent train journeys could be coming to Huddersfield and Dewsbury, according to transport chiefs.

Moves to provide better services to Manchester and Leeds could start after investment from 2014.

West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority’s Kirklees Passenger Consultative Committee has been told the improvements could provide a journey time of 43 minutes between Leeds and Manchester.

At present the journey via Huddersfield by Trans-Pennine Express takes around 54 minutes.

Other improvements would see Dewsbury getting a train in each direction every 15 minutes, the meeting in Dewsbury was told.

Transport authority Metro says improvements to the ‘Northern Hub’ – the network of railways around the North of England including West Yorkshire – could result in six trains every hour both ways between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester.

Currently there are four trains per hour from Leeds to Manchester through Huddersfield on weekdays and Saturdays.

Time improvements will be made possible by including passing loops to allow faster trains to overtake slower ones around the Standedge Tunnel and at Dewsbury.

It is hoped the proposals will be included in Network Rail’s investment plans for 2014 onwards.