Northern transport figures call for smart motorways and trans-Pennine tunnel

In a debate at the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition held at Manchester Central, leading transport figures discussed three priorities for boosting transport across the North.

The panel, which included Manchester Airports Group corporate affairs director Tim Hawkins and transport service operator First Group’s chief exec, Tim O’Toole, unanimously agreed that improving east-west links was key to realising the region’s economic potential.

Three priorities for enhancing the North’s transport infrastructure were put forward, the first of which was the introduction of ‘smart motorways’ and the second a potential trans-Pennine tunnel.

During the discussions on Friday (February 26), Transport for the North chair John Cridland asserted that, if we are to be serious about realising the Northern Powerhouse, we must be “serious about the Trans-Pennine tunnel”.

Thirdly, the panelists called for a long-term strategy, urging politicians to look past their five-year terms in government. They added that while short-term solutions can work to relieve traffic congestion and boost capacity, adopting a “sharper look” at the future would ultimately stimulate growth.

In addition to Tim Hawkins and Tim O’Toole, the panel comprised Highways England CEO Jim O’Sullivan; Kate Willard, corporate affairs director with logistics business Stobart Group; Graeme Mason, Newcastle International Airport’s planning and corporate affairs director; and Keith Howells, the chairman of global engineering and management consultancy Mott MacDonald.