A new managing director has been appointed to lead a major railway programme in the North of England.

James Richardson has taken on the role at the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), which aims to deliver more frequent and faster trains between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York.

Mr Richardson starts at a time when the programme employs more than 5,000 people, with 70 active sites over 70 miles.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be leading a programme of such national and regional importance.

“In just a few days of being here, the commitment for us to succeed has been clear to me from initial meetings with our talented teams and key stakeholders.

“We’re helping to transform train travel across the North and it’s great to get started.”

The programme has already invested more than £500 million with local businesses and is recruiting sustainably, with 85 per cent of the workforce living within 40 miles of the route.

In 2025, another section of the route will become fully electrified, with greener services expected between York and Church Fenton by the end of the year.

Mr Richardson has a wealth of experience in major programmes, his most recent post being managing director of the Skansa Costain STRABAG joint venture delivering the HS2 London tunnels.