Spending Review: Government to ‘take forward our ambitions’ for Northern Powerhouse Rail

Ms Reeves pledged this would create “investment, jobs and growth in every part of the UK”, and made transport a centrepiece of her plans.

The Chancellor announced £3.5bn more funding to continue with the Transpennine Route Upgrade, a huge engineering project to significantly cut rail times between York, Leeds and Manchester.

Last week, Ms Reeves unveiled more than £10bn to the North’s city regions, including £2.1bn to West Yorkshire to allow Mayor Tracy Brabin to take forward her plans for a tram network. Leeds rail station is set to receive £240m in modernisation funding.

Today, the Chancellor also revealed that the Government will “take forward our ambitions” for NPR, with full details expected in the 10–Year Infrastructure Strategy next week.

The Yorkshire Post understands that the proposal will be to build the route in full, from Liverpool to Hull, connecting up Manchester, Leeds and a new through station at Bradford via high-speed rail.

NPR has been seen as essential to connecting up the North and boosting growth by all parties in the region.

The previous Conservative government’s Integrated Rail Plan sparked outrage among northern leaders in November 2021, when it said that a new line would only be built on one section, and the rest of the route would get enhancements to existing lines.

That was then effectively cancelled when Rishi Sunak axed the Northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester.

Henri Murison, the chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has long been championing NPR to governments of all stripes.

He said: “The Spending Review included a commitment by the Chancellor to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail – a project promised by the last government but repeatedly part cancelled and delayed.

“This must mean a new line from Liverpool to Hull and on to the North East, including a new station and route through Bradford, upgrades and electrification between Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester, a new line from Manchester Airport to Piccadilly and across to Yorkshire.”

Ms Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, praised the funding for her mass transit network, but said: “This ambition must now be matched in next week’s infrastructure plan with a firm commitment to vital projects set out in Yorkshire’s plan for rail, including a new city centre through station in Bradford and action to address congestion at Leeds, which is the busiest in the North.

“Long gone are the days when London and the South hog the majority of the nation’s transport spending.

“I believe this government gets it and will illustrate that by continuing to work in partnership with mayors to renew Britain, backing areas that have been neglected by Westminster for decades and doing right by working people.”

These proposals could be boosted by changes Ms Reeves is making to the Green Book, a document Government departments use to assess the cost benefit of funding decisions.

This has traditionally been seen to favour London and South East, however the Chancellor said: “Our new green book will support place-based business cases and make sure no region has Treasury guidance wielded against them.”