Transport links across the North of England will be transformed
following two multi-billion-pound rail and road schemes being
secured in last week's Budget.
The Chancellor and Transport Secretary joined forces on a visit
to Manchester today (Thursday, 7 November) to discuss how the
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and long awaited A57 upgrade
will better connect people, communities and businesses across the
region.
It comes after last week's Budget secured funding to deliver both
growth-enhancing transport projects that will provide critical
connectivity between some of the country's biggest economic
centres, while supporting everyday journeys within the towns and
cities in between.
For rail passengers, the TRU programme will transform the
main line from Manchester to York, via Leeds and Huddersfield,
into a high performing, reliable, electrified railway with more
frequent, faster and greener journeys.
Journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds
will be 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.
and will welcome 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.
The Cabinet ministers will also hear how the TRU is already
supporting thousands of local jobs, with 5,000 people currently
working on the project, including over 300 apprentices, helping
local people progress their careers in and around their
hometowns.
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 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 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.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy said:
“This major investment in our roads and railways will mean better
connections between Greater Manchester and key towns and cities
across the Pennines.
“After years of failed promises, it's a real statement of intent
from this new government that will provide quicker, more reliable
journeys for millions of people, and help to unlock the enormous
potential of the North as an engine for growth.”
Andrew Haines, Network Rail Chief Executive,
said: “This vital project will transform connectivity
across the north delivering a significant economic boost for the
region, and it's going well. Passengers and communities alike
have been hugely supportive and understanding as we work night
and day to make our plans a reality.
“Today's visit provided both the Chancellor and Transport
Secretary with an opportunity to see first-hand the substantial
progress being made by our teams along the 70-miles of
Transpennine Route, including the electrification upgrades
between Manchester and Stalybridge. We welcome their full support
on this major transformation project.”
Alongside guaranteeing the start of works on the A57, last week's
Budget saw further funding committed to transform local road
networks; providing a £500million cash increase for local
highways maintenance to support everyday journeys, and to help
local authorities fix up to an additional one million potholes
every year.
