EXAMINING RAILWAY CAPACITY ENHANCEMENTS OF THE TRANSPENNINE ROUTE UPGRADE BETWEEN HUDDERSFIELD AND DEWSBURY

Fian Ariyanto, Dr. Eng. Ir. Imam Muthohar, S.T., M.T, IPM; Prof. Ir. Siti Malkhamah, M.Sc., Ph.D., IPU, ASEAN Eng.

2025 | Tesis | S2 Mag. S. & T.Transportasi

Proyek Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) di Inggris bertujuan untuk meningkatkan konektivitas dan reliabilitas di sepanjang jalur kereta Transpennine, yang menghubungkan Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, dan Newcastle. Salah satu area strategis di proyek ini adalah peningkatan jalur Huddersfield ke Dewsbury, yang saat ini terbatas oleh sistem dua jalur yang menghambat ketepatan waktu, kecepatan, dan tingkat layanan. Jalur kereta api pada lintas tersebut akan ditingkatkan dari dua jalur  menjadi empat jalur, pemisahan persimpangan jalur, serta melakukan elektrifikasi jalur. Pendekatan kuantitatif dilakukan untuk menilai peningkatan kapasitas dengan membandingkan sistem dua jalur saat ini dengan rancangan empat jalur yang diusulkan, menggunakan pengumpulan data, integrasi, dan analisis konsumsi kapasitas. Metode UIC 406 diadaptasi untuk memodelkan operasi kereta, dengan mempertimbangkan parameter seperti akselerasi, kecepatan, dan panjang kereta. Selanjutnya, headway antar kereta dihitung untuk mendapatkan rata-rata headway pada setiap kombinasi kereta pada tiap jam. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sistem empat jalur dengan pemisahan layanan cepat dan lambat, meningkatkan efisiensi serta fleksibilitas untuk kereta cepat yang beroperasi pada jalur khusus. Namun, jalur lambat masih menghadapi kendala akibat lalu lintas campuran, terutama kereta barang. Pengelolaan interaksi antar kereta dibutuhkan agar jalur lambat dapat tetap melayani perjalanan dengan optimal.

The UK Government's TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a critical investment aimed at enhancing connectivity and boosting local economies along the TransPennine railway, which links major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle. A significant focus of the TRU is the Huddersfield to Dewsbury section, currently constrained by a two-track system. This limitation contributes to low punctuality, speed restrictions, and limited service levels. The project seeks to address these issues by expanding the section to four tracks, constructing a new Ravensthorpe Station, upgrading three existing stations, separating junctions, and electrifying the line, thereby supporting increased service capacity and enabling future network expansions.

A quantitative study methodology was implemented to assess the capacity enhancement of the upgraded railway line segment from Huddersfield and Dewsbury. This approach involves three main stages: data collection, data integration, and capacity consumption calculation. Scenarios involving both the existing two-track layout and the proposed four-track configuration are modeled to assess the impact of these upgrades. The UIC 406 method is adapted by considering blocking time and minimum line headway based on the parameters of each train type, such as acceleration/deceleration profiles, speed, and length. Based on the minimum line headway and the number of trains for each direction, the capacity consumption is determined to assess the capacity consumption for each direction with different scenarios.

The findings indicate that the four-track configuration effectively resolves major capacity issues by segregating fast and slow train services. The fast tracks are dedicated to express passenger train services, operating in a metro-style system that significantly improves flexibility and efficiency. However, capacity constraints persist on the slow tracks due to mixed traffic, particularly from longer freight trains. While the upgrade enhances overall capacity and operational efficiency, careful management of train interactions and service patterns will be crucial to ensuring long-term reliability and performance.

Kata Kunci : kapasitas lintas, operasional kereta api, headway kereta api, peningkatan jalur