A MASSIVE upgrade to the rail network will disrupt 270,000 passenger journeys across the Pennines next month.

Rail operators First Transpennine Express are suspending their services from Huddersfield to Manchester Piccadilly for nine days to allow for Network Rail’s £20m improvements at Stalybridge.

The works will affect 30,000 passengers a day as Stalybridge forms part of one of the main rail routes across the Pennines.

There will be no trains between Huddersfield and Manchester, with thousands of passengers having to catch the bus instead.

The affected route – which takes in Slaithwaite and Marsden villages – will effectively cut off the vital rail link to Huddersfield for the duration of the works.

The services will be affected as follows:

No direct trains will be running from Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly between October 24 and November 4.

Trains will run from Brighouse and Dewsbury to Manchester Victoria via Hebden Bridge.

A replacement bus service will operate between Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly for the duration of the works.

A replacement coach service will operate between Manchester Airport and Huddersfield (two per hour).

First TransPennine Express say the extensive work, which will include two new platforms, CCTV upgrade and track and signalling works at Stalybridge is vital to ensure the future of the line.

Chris Nutton, First TransPennine Express Programme Director said: “The upcoming Network Rail engineering works at Stalybridge will constitute a £20m investment in railway infrastructure that will path the way for quicker and more reliable journeys to and from Huddersfield and West Yorkshire. Two new platforms will be built and the number of trains running will be increased offering more seats for customers in the future.

“Unfortunately there is no other way to achieve these substantial improvements other than closing the railway in and around Stalybridge for a short period of time, towards the end of October.

“We would like to apologise to customers for the upcoming disruption but assure them that we will do everything in our power to ensure they complete their journeys in as stress free manner as possible.”

But the alternative travel arrangements have come under criticism from rail-users who have seen price hikes year-on-year.

Marsh resident Neil Salmon commutes from Huddersfield to Manchester every weekday.

He said: “I renewed my season ticket at the end of the year to avoid a price hike.

“I still pay more than £2,000 and next year it will go up again.

“The improvement work for October, although important, is going to increase journey times and inconvenience passengers when we are being asked to pay more for the service.”

Mr Nutton confirmed season ticket holders would not be compensated for the disruption despite inevitable increased journey times.

And Slaithwaite and Marsden Action on Rail Transport (SMART) have condemned Northern Rail for suspending their service for nine days on the unaffected section of the line.

Tony Bowers, Chair of SMART, said: “There is no practical reason why Northern Rail cannot run a shuttle train service between Huddersfield and Marsden during the week of the Stalybridge blockade.

“We believe that it will be complete chaos, and passengers at Slaithwaite and Marsden will be unnecessarily inconvenienced.”

Drew Haley, stakeholder manager at Northern Rail, said: “The plan for the blockade involves a complete rescheduling of both Northern and TransPennine Express services over the Leeds to Manchester lines.

“We have worked closely with local stakeholders, Passenger Transport Executives for both areas, TransPennine Express and Network Rail to produce the best possible replacement services during this upgrade.

“Running a rail shuttle service to Huddersfield from Marsden is simply not possible to fully resource while at the same time, providing robust enough cover on other busier routes we service.

“We have provided a bus service to connect these towns into the train service in order to reduce the impact on our customers. This service will also be supplemented by buses outside the peaks directly into Manchester.

“We understand our customers will be inconvenienced by the forthcoming works and would like to apologise to those who will experience disruption.”