Northern rail hub project to slash city trip times

Ambitious plans for the Northern Hub – a £580m scheme to deliver more than 700 extra services a day between Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield – have been submitted to the Government by Network Rail as part of its industry vision for 2014 to 2019.

The proposal is one of several sent to the Department for Transport for approval. Network Rail has said all of the schemes are of equal importance – however, sources in Westminster told the Yorkshire Post that the hub is the “number one priority” given it has the potential to boost the regional economy by more than £4bn.

In total it envisages £5.6bn-worth of schemes, including further electrification of the Midland main line, North Trans-Pennine and Cardiff Valleys and additional schemes in Scotland as well as development of the freight network to create capacity for a 30 per cent increase in use. There will also be some 600 extra new train carriages for the enhanced capacity.

The plan also outlines an aim of cutting rail costs by £1.3bn a year by the end of this decade.

Business leaders welcomed the potential investment and pledged to lobby the Government to secure the funds.

The director of Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Ian Williams, said: “The Northern Hub will significantly improve connectivity between the Leeds and Manchester city regions, further enhancing the North’s position as an economic powerhouse to counterweight the South-East.

“The electrification of local West Yorkshire routes will make it easier for local businesses to move goods and people around the region.

“The chamber will work with Metro and other partner organisations to demonstrate to the Department for Transport the significance of these projects in driving growth and job creation and secure the necessary investment.”

Research on the Northern Hub has claimed it has the potential to create more than £4bn in wider economic benefits for the region. It is understood that, providing funding is approved, work could start by 2014 and should be completed by 2020.

The hub would mean four fast trains every hour between Liverpool and Manchester and six between Manchester and Leeds.

Network Rail group strategy director Paul Plummer said: “The railways are booming, with more and more people choosing rail. Closer collaboration within the industry will deliver even more efficiencies.”

The firm’s industry plan also includes a £200m scheme to improve journey times and increase the numbers of services to and from Inverness and Aberdeen as well as a new operating strategy, moving from 800 signal boxes to 14 modern signalling centres.

Mr Plummer said the signal centre plan – a long-term, 30-year scheme – would result in the loss of signallers’ jobs but this would take place “over many years”.

The proposals come as season ticket-holders face average fare rises of eight per cent in the new year. Passengers face an annual fare rise in regulated fares, which include season tickets, of the retail price index inflation level plus three per cent for each of the next three years.

The Government has, however, said it hopes inflation-busting annual rises will eventually become a thing of the past.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said: “We welcome this plan and the industry’s commitment to making the railways achieve better value for money.

“It is encouraging to see members of the rail industry working together on the long-term challenges we jointly face of maintaining investment and improving services while making the railway more affordable for taxpayers and fare-payers.”

Overall, the plan’s investment proposals could generate social and economic benefits for the UK worth four-and-a-half times the cost of the schemes, rail chiefs said.