The Government is set to unveil details for the long-delayed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), with new rail lines to and from Manchester, and major upgrades to rail infrastructure in West Yorkshire
Passengers will see creaking rail services transformed after years of underinvestment in a massive overhaul of travel in the North.
The Government is set to unveil details for the long-delayed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), with new rail lines to and from Manchester, and major upgrades to rail infrastructure in West Yorkshire. Ministers are also expected to promise a new version of HS2’s cancelled leg between Birmingham and Manchester, which was scrapped by Rishi Sunak.
The PM said northern communities had been “let down by broken promises” for too long, adding: “This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt.” The Treasury announced it wants a new Birmingham-Manchester rail line but insisted it would not be “a reinstatement of HS2”.
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Government sources believe a radical transformation of transport can deliver sweeping growth to the economy, describing the north as an “untapped gold reserve”. They estimate that up to £40 billion a year could be injected into the British economy if productivity in the North was lifted just to the national average. A funding cap of £45 billion will be set for the programme, with. £1.1 billion over the Spending Review period as the first stage of this, allowing development and design work to progress before a fully detailed plan is unveiled with timings.
The first phase of the programme will improve connections on existing lines in the 2030s on the following routes: between Sheffield and Leeds; between Leeds and York; and between Leeds and Bradford. It was chosen as the opening stage of the scheme as it does not require major purchases of new land. Under the sweeping reforms, a second phase of NPR would involve a new route between Liverpool and Manchester via Manchester airport and Warrington, using a combination of new and existing lines. The third and final phase will involve better connections eastwards from Manchester to Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York.
There is also money available for a new station for Bradford, while regular services would run on to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, and Chester for North Wales connections. It comes after years of misery for rail users, with figures last year showing a record low in reliability, with over one in 25 trains cancelled.
Stats also show almost 7,000 trains were cancelled in 2024 as a result of floods, with passengers facing 130 days worth of delays. Every day commuters take to social media to complain of delays, overcrowding, and cancellations, all while paying the most expensive fares in Europe.
In a vow to end the misery for travellers, Keir Starmer said:“I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home. But I’ve seen first hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North.
“A reliable commute, a secure job, a thriving town centre – these are all things that everyone should expect. But over and over again people in Northern communities, from Liverpool and Manchester to York and Newcastle have been let down by broken promises.
“That’s why this Government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services.”
Government analysis highlights the scale of the problem, with rail connections in northern England lagging behind those in the south of the country. Direct journeys between Liverpool and Manchester airport, a distance of 29 miles, take one hour and 25 minutes, with 21 stops, and just one service per hour.
Between Leeds and Sheffield, there are two fast trains per hour, typically taking 45-47 minutes to cover the 29 miles. The second service was introduced last month. Four fast trains per hour take 48-52 minutes to cover the 36 miles between Manchester and Leeds.
The Treasury said a “funding cap” of £45 billion would be set for NPR, although this could be topped up by local contributions, such as through increased revenue from business rates. An initial £1.1 billion for development and design work would be available to enable the creation of a “detailed delivery plan which will include timings”, the Treasury said. NPR is the focus of the Government’s wider Northern Growth Strategy, which will be published in spring and aims to provide better jobs, more homes and increased investment in the region.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will outline more in a speech today, said: “If economic growth is the challenge, investment and renewal is the solution. That’s why we’re reversing years of chronic underinvestment in the North. Our transformative plans will create jobs, build homes and unlock opportunities for businesses to invest.”
It follows the Chancellor having already announced a record £120 billion for capital investment into long-awaited infrastructure projects this Parliament including road, rail and green energy that will generate the jobs of the future and turbocharge growth.
The announcement was welcomed by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. He said: “Finally, we have a Government with an ambitious vision for the North, firm commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and an openness to an underground station in Manchester city centre. Today marks a significant step forward for Greater Manchester. We’ll now work at pace to prove the case for an underground station and work up detailed designs for the route between Liverpool and Manchester.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “After more than a decade of dither, delay and broken promises, this is the start of a new era, with a genuinely strategic approach and a Government finally backing Northern Powerhouse Rail in full. This is the kind of ambition we’ve been crying out for.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, added: “For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay – but that ends now. Northern Powerhouse Rail will deliver faster, more frequent services across the great cities of the North, unlocking jobs, homes and opportunities and creating a world-class growth corridor that people of the region need and deserve.”