Following the government’s recent commitment to delivering Northern Power Rail, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has signed a number of agreements with mayors across the north, as that commitment deepens.
With a number of meetings taking place, the agreements outlined the commitments from all parties to deliver major transport improvements across the north of England. As he came together with the Transport Secretary, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
“Signing an agreement on the future of Northern Powerhouse Rail is about turning words into action.
“After more than a decade of delay and broken promises, we finally have a government backing proposals in full and a framework to deliver it.
“Local leaders are ready, the Liverpool City Region is ready, and the whole North is ready, pulling in the same direction. Now we can get on with preparation and delivery of a rail network that matches the ambition of our people and stimulates growth in our economy.”
As part of the Liverpool agreement, funding worth £1.1bn has been confirmed for development work on the new Liverpool-Manchester railway line. The agreement brings the certainty that is needed to speed up the development process, whilst also confirming that work on options for the new line will be collaborative.
On the other end of the Liverpool-Manchester line, another agreement was signed with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. As part of the plans for the line, options will be assessed for a new underground station at Manchester Piccadilly, and a major connection at Manchester Airport. Commenting on the potential that the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail can bring, Burnham said:
“Northern Powerhouse Rail will transform how people get around the north’s great towns and cities, providing better, more reliable public transport as well as delivering good jobs and new homes.
“A new line between Manchester and Liverpool with an underground at Manchester Piccadilly will be the beating heart of a resurgent north of England in the 21st century.
“This agreement demonstrates the government’s commitment to working with us. Together, we will deliver the best version of this transformational project.”
One area where development is already taking place, is on the Transpennine Route, where upgrades are taking place to improve rail services between Manchester and York. As part of that, West Yorkshire is already seeing work done, however it will see continued improvements thanks to the NPR project.
The announcement on the government’s commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail delved into improvements in Leeds and Bradford, whilst also bringing electrification across the county’s rail network.
A new train station for Bradford, and a capacity boost for Leeds Station will support the mission of developing public transport across the north, and that has been backed by the Transport Secretary’s agreement with West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin. Announcing the agreement on her LinkedIn account, Brabin said that “multi-billion-pound investment is coming to the North, for long overdue improvements to our rail network and to give passengers the high-quality journeys they deserve.”
As one of the busiest train stations in the north of England, York Station is set for upgrades to ensure that faster, more reliable transport is available for the area’s communities. Through an agreement with David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, the Transport Secretary has committed £1.1bn to accelerate the design and planning process, whilst setting a £45bn funding cap for the project.
York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith said:
“This is a huge moment for York, putting us at the heart of a once in a generation investment in the North.
“Today’s commitment sets us on the path to faster trains for people to get to work and training, visit family, or enjoy a day out and marks a vote of confidence in York and North Yorkshire’s place in growing the economy for the North and the whole of the UK.”
“My focus now is on making sure we make the most of this opportunity for communities across the whole of our region, so people from Skipton to the Scarborough, Harrogate to Hawes can share in the benefits from Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
Both David Skaith and Tracy Brabin have been working together to establish a White Rose Plan for Rail, which will look to improve transport across Yorkshire. Another mayor who was involved in that process was South Yorkshire’s Oliver Coppard, whose agreement with the Transport Secretary sees a commitment to electrification and capacity boosts.
Bringing better links to South Yorkshire will ensure that it can be even better connected to Leeds and Manchester. This will be done through a new station at Rotheram Gateway, the expansion of the county’s tram train network, and ambitions for four fast trains an hour between Sheffield and Leeds.
Commenting on the agreement, Coppard said:
“Northern Powerhouse Rail is a massive commitment from the government to the future of South Yorkshire, finally giving us the prospect of better, faster, more reliable connections between here and our neighbours in Leeds and Manchester.
“But it also means we can kick start the work on the further expansion of tour tram network, and make real progress towards the development of Rotherham Station.
“These are all big steps for all of us who use public transport across the North, particularly here, because South Yorkshire is at the very front of the queue when it comes to delivery.”
The final mayor who signed an agreement with the Transport Secretary was Kim McGuinness of the North East. In the announcement on Northern Powerhouse Rail, it was confirmed that the Leamside Line will be developed to ensure that NPR services are connected to Newcastle, Darlington and Durham.
As she met with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who committed to boosting transport in the North East, McGuinness said:
“I am thrilled to welcome Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander to the North East today where we signed an agreement to work together to bring a new rail line to County Durham.
“Last week we saw the launch of a new growth plan for the North – critically for our region, that includes Government backing our plans for the Leamside Line which is a once in a generation project for North East England.
“For the first time in decades, the new line will give communities a rail link which will be transformational for local people – in the same way the Northumberland Line has been for South East Northumberland.
“We have bold ambitions for transport, so we are already working to extend the Metro to Washington, this is more good news and a major milestone for the project to bring rail back to our communities.”
Image credit: iStock
