Brakes slammed on TransPennine rail electrification project

The electrification of a TransPennine rail line between York and Manchester has now been delayed, with no new completion date announced.

Three and a half years ago, in November 2011, plans were announced to electrify the route which connects Manchester, Leeds and York.

This electrification plan was part of a wider project to upgrade the North’s rail network, which would eventually help create Chancellor George Osborne’s northern economic “powerhouse”.

This past March, the Leeds-Harrogate-York rail line received classification as a tier one scheme for electrification in ‘Northern Sparks’, a report of the North of England Electrification Task Force, which identified this line as a top priority.

The postponement of the TransPennine line was unveiled after Jonathan Reynolds, Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, asked the government for an update on the situation.

Andrew Jones, the Transport Minister, replied: “Network Rail has been developing the scheme to electrify the route between Manchester and York since 2011. Network Rail has recently concluded that more work will be needed than previously planned.

“This is in order to accommodate the expected growth in train services, deliver the significant improvement in journey times needed to generate economic growth, and provide the best possible performance and capacity on this line. Network Rail has been working with the Department to ensure that this work will be planned as efficiently as possible, and we cannot clarify the completion date until the planning is completed.”