Trafford Council Leader Tom Ross has hailed the Government’s fresh commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) as a hugely positive step for Greater Manchester and the North West.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the project including the Liverpool-Manchester (LMR) rail proposal as part of a transformational focus on faster and more frequent journeys between the North’s biggest cities.
NPR is part of a wider Northern Growth Strategy, intended to boost productivity, support tens of thousands of jobs, and create a growth corridor from Liverpool to York.
The plan announced today aims to improve rail connectivity between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, York, and provide better services to Newcastle and Hull.
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, said:
“This is a huge opportunity that will unlock growth and potential across the whole of our region. We’ve come so far in the past decade as the country’s fastest-growing city region. Such transformative rail possibilities will supercharge this trajectory, enabling us to go bigger and better for many more years to come.”
The first phase focuses on improving connections between Sheffield–Leeds, Leeds–York, and Leeds–Bradford. A new route between Liverpool and Manchester via Manchester Airport and Warrington is set to follow.
The programme will operate within a £45 billion funding cap, with £1.1 billion allocated over the current Spending Review period for planning, development and design work, meaning that progress can start immediately.
The Government has also signalled long term intent to build a new rail line between Birmingham and Manchester.