Slaithwaite and Marsden Action on Rail Transport Update – July 2025 

SMART Open Meeting: this will be held at 7pm on Monday 21^st July at the Watershed, 22 Bridge St, Slaithwaite. The meeting is being organised for all rail users who use Slaithwaite and Marsden stations. A full agenda will be circulated before the meeting but the main discussions will be on the imminent closures of the line and gathering views ahead of the consultation planned on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) in the Autumn. Thank you to those who have already confirmed attendance, we would be grateful if you could let us know if you plan to attend.

Station performance: Slaithwaite and Marsden stations continue to have some of the worst rail service based on punctuality and cancellations in the country at 2,455th and 2,382nd respectively out of 2,639 stations [Source: www.ontimetrains.co.uk]. Despite modest improvements since last month, they remain in the bottom 10%.

Reminders:

• Upcoming closures: our part of the route is currently closed on weekends through the summer. It is also planned that Huddersfield station, plus the route between Stalybridge and Deighton, will be completely closed from 30^th August for four weeks. Further detail and rail replacement details may be found on the SMART or TPE websites.
  • https://www.smart-rail.co.uk/  
  • https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/planned-engineering-work 
• Through trains to and from Leeds: When Huddersfield station reopens on 29^th September, there will be only two through platforms so through trains from Marsden & Slaithwaite to and from Leeds at peak times will resume (to get the stopping trains out of the way). This will continue until the next month-long closure (which will increase the number of through platforms at Huddersfield to four), currently expected to be in Autumn 2026. At this point, the direct Leeds service from Slaithwaite and Marsden will cease again. In line with the survey feedback, we continue to press for the reinstatement of through trains to and from Leeds on a permanent basis.

As well as letting us know if you plan to attend on the 21^st July, please get in touch if you have any questions or want to get involved with supporting the work of SMART.