The Government has made its much vaunted announcement for Northern Powerhouse rail
The £45 billion plans include a new line between Liverpool and Manchester, proposals for an underground station at Piccadilly and even the possibility of a new line between Manchester and Birmingham
As we reported earlier this week the first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail will concentrate on electrification between Leeds and Sheffield, York and Bradford by the 2030s. In the north east, there will be work on the business case for the Leamside Line.
The second phase will include three new stations at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay low level, while the third will be about improving the railway between Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, as well as exploring options for Manchester to Bradford.
The government is talking about a new line between Birmingham and Manchester. Although it says ‘it will not be a revival of HS2’, its ‘long term objective’ is a line between the West Midlands and the North West.
The scheme won’t be completed until at least 2045 with the Manchester to Birmingham line completed after that
Northern Powerhouse Rail was first proposed by George Osborne in 2014, but much of the promised investment was later scaled back
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay – but that ends now.
‘This new era of investment will reignite the economy across Liverpool and Manchester, helping their iconic sport and cultural industries to thrive, and cementing Manchester Airport as the gateway to the north.
‘This exciting new line will not only speed up journeys, it will open up new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“Finally, we have a government with an ambitious vision for the North, firm commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and an openness to an underground station in Manchester city centre. A modernised Manchester Piccadilly could become the Kings Cross of the North, acting as a catalyst for major growth in our city region and beyond.
“Over the past decade, we’ve become the UK’s fastest growing city region, but underinvestment in rail infrastructure has long acted as a brake on further growth. Today marks a significant step forward for Greater Manchester. We’ll now work at pace to prove the case for an underground station and work up detailed designs for the route between Liverpool and Manchester.”
Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell added
“Critical to these gains is an underground, through station at Manchester Piccadilly which would future proof capacity and reliability for generations to come. Also connectivity to Manchester Airport with flights all around the world, will unlock new trade and investment to wider regions, like Sheffield and Liverpool.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is a massive moment for Manchester.
“We have campaigned long and hard for much-needed investment in rail in the city and across the North – better linking the great cities and towns of the North – to create and support jobs, regeneration and other opportunities for our people. The previous Government failed us. But today’s announcement is a serious commitment to that vision after years of frustration.
“For people in Manchester this will mean more reliable and more frequent – not just faster – services to Liverpool, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Warrington and York.
“After many years of us making the case, for the first time a Government has recognised the potential benefits of an underground station and in the coming years we will work closely and constructively with Government to see that become a reality.
“An underground station is more than simply a nice-to-have. It is fundamentally important in being able to adapt to future growth in passenger numbers and being able to run through services to Leeds and Bradford. It will also preserve more land for regeneration, job creation and public spaces and remove the need for unsightly overground infrastructure.”
“At long last people across the North will feel the benefits.
“We’re also glad to see that the Government has signalled its intention to create a new line between Manchester and Birmingham. The West Coast Mainline is creaking and congested and this extra north-south capacity is needed as well as the boost to east-west connections.
“Manchester is a city going from strength-to-strength. This investment in vital rail infrastructure will accentuate and enable the city’s success, and its contribution to the North’s success, in the years ahead.”
