?3.9bn funding confirmed for rail project
Artist's impression of new Ravensthorpe viaduct (Copyright Network Rail)
The government has committed £3.9bn funding to improve rail services in the North of England.
The funding, announced today (4 December 2023) announced by rail minister Huw Merriman, is set to accelerate work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, leading to quicker journey times, reduced carbon emissions and more reliable services between key northern cities.
Once complete, the full route is expected to provide significantly improved services on the route between Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds-York, with rail users benefiting from a fully-electrified line, accessible stations and more frequent services.
The latest announcement means the government has invested £6.9bn into the upgrade, with the initial £3bn funding work to generate early benefits by the middle of the decade, such as the electrification of tracks.
Further funding is expected to be confirmed by the Department for Transport as the project progresses to support the overall cost of up to £11.5bn.
The government said the total investment would be above what was provided for Crossrail.
It is also expected to support plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), with the government recently pledging a further £12bn to better connect Liverpool and Manchester. Bradford and Hull are also set to be included in NPR, using savings from HS2.
Rail minister Huw Merriman said: "The Transpennine Route Upgrade represents the first major step in delivering transformed east-west connectivity in the North and I'm delighted to announce this multibillion-pound funding boost to move to the next stage of delivery.
"Today's announcement demonstrates this government's commitment to delivering its Network North plan which will improve journeys, help to level up regions and grow the economy."
The newly announced funding will be invested in doubling the number of tracks from two to four between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe, allowing faster trains to overtake slower stopping services and freight journeys.
Once complete in the mid-2030s, the upgrade will offer up to eight trains per hour, hundreds of extra seats and cut journey times between Manchester and York by ten minutes.
The investment will also support digital signalling along the route to allow trains to run closer together, and will support TransPennine Express in engaging with manufacturers on options for up to 29 new trains to replace the existing diesel fleet.
Darren Oldham, Transport for the North's director of rail and road, added: "This is a major milestone for the TRU project as it upgrades a key rail corridor across the North, bringing improvements for passengers and extra capacity for freight. TfN has been working with partners for some years to bring forward these benefits, which will lay the foundations for further transformational development from Northern Powerhouse Rail.
"We fully welcome the investment in this corridor as it will improve journey times, reliability, capability and capacity between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds. It will also reduce the pressure on the road network, particularly the M62 between West Yorkshire and Manchester."
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