Transport for the North release preferred plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail routes and submit them to the government

Transport for the North has released its preferred routes for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.
Northern Powerhouse Rail is an eagerly-anticipated transport infrastructure projectNorthern Powerhouse Rail is an eagerly-anticipated transport infrastructure project
Northern Powerhouse Rail is an eagerly-anticipated transport infrastructure project

The initial route plan - which could later be amended or revised - has now been submitted to the government as the official recommendation endorsed by elected mayors, council and business leaders.

The plan is a combination of new lines and major upgrades to existing routes.

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Construction would begin in 2024 and the new lines would link fully with HS2, with shared track, stations and junctions at certain points.

An initial route map showing how new lines would be constructed between Yorkshire citiesAn initial route map showing how new lines would be constructed between Yorkshire cities
An initial route map showing how new lines would be constructed between Yorkshire cities

An updated business case will be submitted in spring 2021 following further discussions with transport secretary Grant Shapps.

The main benefit for Yorkshire will be an entirely new line between Manchester and Leeds via Bradford city centre, plus upgrades to improve the Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield.

Connecting Sheffield to HS2 for onwards travel to Leeds is also proposed, as is electrification of the lines from Sheffield and Leeds into Hull.

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Transport for the North also wants the East Coast Main Line to be improved between Leeds and Newcastle, via York and Darlington, and the Leamside Line, which closed to passengers in 1964 and freight in the 1990s and which served the Durham coalfields areas, to be re-opened.

Another proposal is for a new Liverpool to Manchester line via Warrington.

The government's Integrated Rail Plan, which is due for publication before the end of this year, is expected to set out how investments such as Northern Powerhouse Rail will be delivered.

Northern Powerhouse Rail director Tim Wood said: “This is a significant moment for Northern Powerhouse Rail, we have an initial preferred way forward for a rail network that will deliver thousands of jobs, cut carbon emissions and slash journey times between the north’s towns, cities and beyond.

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“With the need to build back better following the Covid-19 pandemic, delivery of long-term, job-creating infrastructure projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail need to be a critical component of the agenda. The preferred network would be transformational for the North’s economy and allow Northern workers access to enhanced opportunities through a wider jobs market.

“We’ll now enter discussions with Government and look at ways in which the number of remaining options can be further shortlisted and delivery accelerated for the sake of the North’s communities and future.”