The Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Transport Secretary Louise Haigh joined forces on a visit to Manchester today to discuss how the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and long awaited A57 upgrade will better connect people, communities and businesses across the region.
The announcement follows last week’s Budget when secured funding to deliver both growth-enhancing transport projects was announced as well as funding to electrify the Bolton to Wigan line.
The TRU programme will transform the main line from Manchester to York, via Leeds and Huddersfield, with journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour. Services from Manchester to York will also be cut by 10 minutes.
Rachel Reeves and Louise Haigh welcomed the completion of a major milestone that’s already been delivered on the west of the route, with electric trains running between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. Once complete, the full 70-mile TRU route will be fully electrified, helping save 87,000 tonnes of carbon each year
On top of this, the Chancellor has announced works on the long awaited A57 Link Road upgrade will start in the coming weeks, giving certainty to road users that the scheme and its benefits will finally start to be delivered.
For too long, residents and road users have suffered from slow journey times, congestion and rat-running around surrounding roads which in turn has stunted economic growth across the region.
Once this £250million upgrade is complete, the A57 upgrade will be transformational to road users and businesses across the North of England. Journey times between Manchester and Sheffield will drastically decrease and local communities will benefit from not only better connectivity, but also reduced noise and pollution.
The scheme will see the creation of two new links roads and will be integral to growing the region’s economy, making jobs more accessible but also accelerating the delivery of goods.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
“Investment in our transport infrastructure is vital to delivering our growth mission. Without improvements to our roads and rail we won’t be able to create jobs and boost business, which is why I prioritised projects like the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the long awaited A57 upgrade in the Budget last week.
“Securing the delivery of these two important schemes brings our key Northern economic centres closer together. This Government is ending fourteen years of neglect of the north, instead bolstering the region’s immense growth power to benefit the whole country.”
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:
“Reliable, well-connected transport links are crucial to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education and businesses across our towns and cities.
“But for too long, the North’s transport infrastructure has been neglected.
“That’s why I am delighted the Chancellor’s first Budget secured the delivery of two multi-billion-pound projects that will be vital for rail and road journeys across the North of England.
“I look forward to working on the successful delivery of both schemes that will make a huge different to people’s everyday journeys – making travelling between these great towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.”
