Huddersfield Railway Station is the fifth busiest in Yorkshire & the Humber – even at a time when the station is undergoing a £70 million revamp.
Over the last 12 months there has been much disruption to services in and around Huddersfield with buses replacing trains.
Yet new figures from the Office for Rail and Road – based on entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024 – show how popular the station is – and the potential it has to offer in future years.
As part of the £11.5 billion TransPennine Route Upgrade, Huddersfield Railway Station is undergoing a complete internal re-modelling with two new platforms and a lengthening of the existing platforms to accommodate longer trains and, therefore, more seats for passengers.
Work on the station is now 12 months into a three-year project which is due to be completed in early 2027.
Electrification and more tracks will mean faster, cleaner and greener trains operating between Manchester, Leeds and York by the mid-2030s.
Top 10 Most Used Stations in Yorkshire and The Humber
Station | Entries and Exits |
Leeds | 24.9 million |
Sheffield | 9.4m |
York | 9.2m |
Doncaster | 3.9m |
Huddersfield | 3.0m |
Hull | 2.6m |
Bradford Interchange | 2.3m |
Wakefield Westgate | 2.1m |
Meadowhall | 1.7m |
Halifax | 1.6m |
Charles Maltby, director of Huddersfield Unlimited, the business organisation that stands for the town, said the figures showed Huddersfield’s immense potential for growth, and the impact the TransPennine Route Upgrade could have on the town.
Charles said: “Currently one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UK, the TRU will allow Huddersfield to have the unique position of being only 20 minutes away from both Leeds and Manchester.
“It’s ideally placed for individuals or businesses who wish to have quick access to and from both cities, whilst also benefiting from the lower costs and increasingly high quality of life available in the town of Huddersfield.
“Development of Huddersfield Station is well underway to create a more pleasant environment when using the train and the whole of the station gateway is to be developed further, making the station area itself a great place for rail users.”
Charles said that Huddersfield’s wider economic development potential – with the likes of the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus and the West Yorkshire Investment Zone – along with forthcoming leisure attractions such as Kirklees Council’s Cultural Heart redevelopment and the Kingsgate Centre’s relaunch as an entertainments destination – proved Huddersfield was on the move.
“With all that’s happening, let’s see if we can get Huddersfield Station into 4th place,” he said.