Transpennine Route Upgrade: Time capsule buried at Ravensthorpe site during visit by Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, and Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin
A time capsule was buried at the TRU Ravensthorpe site as part of a visit by the rail minister.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, visited the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) site in Ravensthorpe on Thursday (February 27) where a new viaduct and fly-over are being created to improve rail journeys through the area.
A time capsule, which was buried during the visit, will sit under the foundations of the new viaduct and will remain there for hundreds of years.
It contains a letter to the finder, a rail ticket from Manchester to York, a dated newspaper, and schoolchildren’s designs for how the railway will look in 200 years.
Lord Hendy and Tracy Brabin were joined by local schoolchildren and TRU apprentices who buried the time capsule to mark TRU’s progress and commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.
The works at the Ravensthorpe site will enable faster trains to overtake slower ones. Doubling the number of tracks from two to four will allow faster services and increased capacity on journeys across the Pennines.
Speaking about the works, Lord Hendy said: “We are upgrading rail links across the north - slashing journey times and investing in frequent, greener, and more reliable services between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
“Ravensthorpe is one of several new stations which will have better facilities and improved accessibility.
“Transforming transport links is key to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education, and businesses in our communities, including Ravensthorpe, whose new station alone is supporting the delivery of 4,000 new homes.”
Tracy Brabin said: "Having better transport across the north is imperative to growth.
"No matter where you're going or where you're coming from, you should be able to get on a train that's on time and can get you there quickly and reliably.
"That's why the work we've seen today is so important, to connect both sides of the Pennines and get people to where they need to be.
“This is the biggest infrastructure project underway in the North of England and it’s great to hear how it’s being delivered on time and on budget.”
TRU Managing Director, James Richardson, said: “The work undertaken in Ravensthorpe and Huddersfield is key to unlocking faster trains and more services with more seats for passengers, plus increased freight movements.
“I’m delighted Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and Mayor Tracy Brabin have been able to see for themselves the progress being by Team TRU, as we edge closer to transforming rail journeys helping to enable the north to achieve its true economic potential.”
Network Rail said the TRU will bring passengers more trains to choose from and more seats, and that the upgrades will enable more trains to run between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York with up to six fast services every hour between Leeds and Manchester and up to two stopping services for local connectivity.
More information about the TRU can be found on the TRU website.