Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU)’s Baker Viaduct now spans the River Calder in Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire, following the installation of the penultimate pair of beams today (29th July), connecting the structural steelwork on either side of the waterway.
The newly built viaduct, which stretches 350 metres and weighs 2,400 tonnes, has now crossed two waterways after spanning the Calder navigation canal last year. The structure is a key part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade at Ravensthorpe, one of the largest civil engineering sites currently under construction in the UK.
Once complete, the viaduct will connect to a newly built grade-separated flyover as part of plans to accommodate new rail alignments with four tracks. This will allow direct services to overtake stopping services, improving reliability and reducing journey times across the route.
To enable the railway connection between the viaduct and flyover, around 130,000 cubic metres of material has been placed in 2025 for embankments, retaining walls and other earthwork structures. A similar volume is expected to be placed during 2026.
Alongside the track realignment works, a new Ravensthorpe station is being built around 200 metres west of the current location. The new station will provide future passengers with access to services towards both Leeds and Wakefield.
Adam Bunce, Senior Project Manager for TRU, said: “Baker Viaduct now spanning the River Calder is a significant milestone for TRU. This is an impressive feat of engineering and we’re really proud of everyone across our teams who have made it possible.
“When completed, Baker Viaduct will unlock faster, more reliable services for customers in the North. Work is also progressing well on the new Ravensthorpe station which, when reopened in 2028, will have a footbridge with lifts for step-free access, a new forecourt area and drop-off facilities, and new, extended island platforms so longer trains with more seats can stop there.
“Overhead line equipment will also be installed throughout the area to power greener, electrified services.”
The TRU delivery team includes a number of contractor partners, including BAM Nuttall and Severfield, both of which have played a major role in delivering the Baker Viaduct project.
Gareth Day, Projects Associate Director for Severfield, said: “Today’s lift is the penultimate and thirty-first installation lift of the Baker Viaduct and follows more than sixty offline assembly lifts since we started on site last September.
“Installing the final drop-in span is a very proud achievement for the Severfield Bridge team. 3D modelling of the structure started back in 2024, so the final lifts on site this week mark nearly two years of meticulous planning and engineering to successfully fabricate, deliver and install the 2,400-tonne viaduct.”
To mark the milestone, representatives from Kirklees Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority were invited to view the new structure.
Councillor Eleanor Thomson, deputy chair of the Weaver Network Board, said: “The Transpennine Route Upgrade is a huge investment into our region.
“It was fantastic to see this feat of engineering slot into place. This kind of new infrastructure will lead to quicker, more reliable journeys and greater capacity for passenger and freight services, as well as boosting our economy.
“Better rail services will play a key role in our Weaver Network, creating a new, joined-up transport network for a better-connected West Yorkshire.”