Further detailed development work funded by a £37m allocation in the government’s autumn budget will take place on the Northern Powerhouse Rail project over the next 18 months as the government considers the document, ahead of the submission of a strategic outline business case. This document will outline how the investment could increase the capacity, speed and resilience of the north’s railway network. It will also seek to deliver the objectives of northern England's Strategic Transport Plan. If approved, work on several projects could start in 2024.

Among the schemes expected to be included in the Northern Powerhouse Rail initiative are:

  • a new line linking Leeds and Manchester via Bradford, including the option for a Bradford city centre station. This would cut journey times to 30 minutes from 49 at present
  • a new double-track line from Liverpool to HS2 and Manchester and other northern cities via Warrington and Manchester Airport
  • upgrades of links between Leeds and Sheffield and HS2, reducing journey times between the two cities from 41 minutes to 26
  • upgrades to the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield
  • upgrades to the Sheffield - Leeds - Hull line
  • upgrades between Leeds and Newcastle, and
  • development of hub concepts for Northern Powerhouse Rail stations.

As well as infrastructure improvements, the leaders are calling for an enhanced role for Transport for the North in designing and implementing HS2 Phase 2b, the route from Crewe to Manchester and the west Midlands to Leeds; the TransPennine route upgrade between Manchester and Leeds; and infrastructure manager Network Rail’s renewal programme for the north.

The leaders also encouraged the government to work with the north’s 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships to refresh the Northern Powerhouse Strategy and provide funding to support Northern Powerhouse Rail growth strategies.

“In Northern Powerhouse Rail, we have turned ambition and passion into a robust evidence base for investment of up to £39bn,” says Mr Tim Wood, director of Transport for the North’s Northern Powerhouse Rail. “It provides viable options and solutions to the North’s rail challenges. For too long, passengers and businesses have been held back by slower than average train speeds and poor connectivity between our city regions. If we’re going to re-balance the UK’s economy, this needs to be tackled head on.”