Member Article

Osborne to announce multi-billion pound transport overhaul for the North

As part of the government’s plans to empower the North, Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce a transport overhaul across the North of England today, including a multi-billion pound rail scheme.

The Northern Transport Strategy, which is part of Osborne’s plans to create a “Northern Powerhouse”, will aim to improve road links and speed up train times between major cities across the North East, North West and Yorkshire.

The report, which is being published by the government and the newly formed Transport for the North (TfN), will propose several new routes, including:

• Leeds to Newcastle, with new travel times of about 50 minutes, costing an estimated £8.5bn to £14bn
• Sheffield to Manchester, and Manchester to Leeds in about 30 minutes, costing an estimated £12bn to £19bn
• Liverpool to Manchester, travel times of about 20 minutes (down from 32), costing an estimated £8bn to £13bn

The report also sets out plans to develop new east-west road connections, a road tunnel under the Peak District, and introducing smart travel cards and simpler fares across the North.

Later in the year, companies will be asked to bid to deliver improvements to the transport operations across the North, including FirstGroup, which has today signed an agreement with the Department for Transport to operate the First TransPennine Express rail franchise for a further year.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “We have ambitious plans for rail across the north of England, with more than £1 billion being invested in the region’s railways.

“We have set out how we will transform rail services across the north over the next few years, but we are determined that passengers shouldn’t have to wait to see much-needed improvements. This agreement with First TransPennine Express will make a real difference to passengers, paving the way for the next franchise to further develop a railway the north of England is proud of.”

In his 2015 on Wednesday, the Chancellor laid out plans for a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and made the first steps towards devolution in the North West, he said: “Over the last year, the north grew faster than the south. We are seeing a truly national recovery. And where is employment growing fastest? The North West.

“Where is a job being created every 10 minutes? The Midlands. And which county has created more jobs than the whole of France? The great county of Yorkshire.

“For our ambition for a truly national recovery is not limited to building a northern powerhouse. We back in full the long-term economic plans we have for every region.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .