Network Rail has appointed Arcadis as Programme Partner for the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), supporting programme management through to completion via a joint venture with AtkinsRéalis.
The five-year framework, valued at up to £100 million with an option to extend to eight years, is a significant appointment on what is the UK’s largest rail upgrade project. The £10.7 billion TRU programme is modernising 122 km of railway to improve connectivity between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York — and once complete, is expected to reduce journey times to as little as 63 minutes between Manchester and York, and around 42 minutes between Manchester and Leeds, alongside delivering a greener, electrified route.
Arcadis will provide a broad range of programme and project management services, including programme controls and integration, data and performance analytics, schedule monitoring, risk management, and commercial management — capabilities that will be essential in coordinating the multiple alliances and project teams operating across the route.
The team will draw on Arcadis’ offices in Manchester, York and Leeds, with a stated commitment to working with local SMEs across the supply chain and developing regional skills and long-term social value for communities across the North of England — a thread of local investment that Rail Forum is always pleased to see woven into major infrastructure delivery.
Heather Polinsky, CEO of Arcadis, reflected on the appointment:
“The TRU will deliver faster, more reliable, and greener travel for millions, supporting regional growth and economic opportunity. By drawing on local talent and working closely with communities, we’re not just building better infrastructure — we’re helping to create lasting benefits for people and places across Manchester, Leeds, York and beyond.”
Arcadis brings more than a decade of involvement in TRU to this expanded role, building on earlier work in cost planning, estimating, and commercial advisory. It is well placed to help maintain the delivery momentum this programme demands.