“Legislation will be
introduced to…deliver a fair
deal for the North
of England through Northern Powerhouse
Rail”
- The Bill (formally titled the High Speed Rail (Crewe -
Manchester) Bill) is foundational to Northern Powerhouse Rail
(NPR), unlocking the delivery of rail capacity into Manchester
Piccadilly via Manchester Airport so that people can benefit
from better transport links
across the region.
- NPR will deliver faster, more reliable and more frequent
services between the North of England's key cities. This enhanced
transport network will lead to more housing, improve access to
jobs, make it easier for people to travel between towns and
cities across the North and provide opportunities for businesses
to expand.
What does the Bill
do?
-
The Government is investing up to £45 billion (2025
prices) to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR)
turn-up-and-go railway services between Liverpool,
Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with regular
services onward to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, Hull,
and Chester for North Wales connections.
-
This will
transform intercity
rail in
the North,
make travel
more convenient for people across
the region and drive economic growth. NPR will also
support thousands of new homes and commercial developments in
places like Leeds South Bank, Bradford's Southern Gateway,
York Central, Manchester city centre and around Manchester
Airport.
- NPR will be delivered in three phases:
-
The first phase will include upgrades to lines east
of the Pennines for delivery in the 2030s, focusing
on electrification and upgrades in the Leeds-Bradford,
Leeds-Sheffield and Leeds-York corridors, including the
stations.
-
In the
second phase,
the Government
will take
forward a
new route between
Liverpool and
Manchester via
Warrington and
Manchester Airport. The adapted High Speed
Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill will provide the necessary
powers to construct and operate the connection into
Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport.
In the third
phase, the
Government will
deliver better
cross-Pennine links over and above the
Transpennine Route Upgrade already underway.
- The Bill will outline the proposed route from Manchester to
Millington, via Manchester Airport, and will provide the
necessary powers to take forward delivery when the design has
been completed. By adapting the High Speed Rail (Crewe to
Manchester) Bill, the Government is making use of the significant
progress already made.
Territorial extent and
application
- The Bill will extend to the whole of the UK but most of the
provisions will apply in England only.
Key facts
-
In 2023,
the productivity
of northern
England was
10 per
cent lower than the
UK average and 25 per cent lower than London and the South
East. This pattern is particularly apparent in the
largest northern cities and their surrounding regions.
-
The largest northern Mayoral Strategic Authorities
have recently seen their productivity grow 2.2 per cent per
year, which is higher than the UK average
productivity growth rate of 0.7 per cent. However, despite
this growth, average productivity in these areas is still 11
per cent lower than the UK average.
-
Growing the productivity of the five most populous
northern Mayoral Strategic Authority areas to the national
average could add around £40 billion
per year
in Gross
Value Added, alongside
around £15 billion per year in fiscal revenues.
-
Northern city centres are far less accessible within
reasonable commuting times compared to international
comparators, and have lower residential population
densities, meaning there is a smaller pool of workers for
firms to access and fewer job opportunities available to
workers. Only 38 per cent of residents can access the city
centre of Leeds within 30 minutes by public transport
compared to 87 per cent in Marseille, a similar sized city.
-
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy , 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
King's Cross of the
North, acting as a
catalyst for major growth
in our city region and
beyond. Over the past
decade, we have 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.”
-
The Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Airport
Group, Ken O'Toole, said that:
“By placing Manchester Airport at the
heart of a full Northern Powerhouse Rail Network, people and
businesses across the region will have the
direct access they
deserve to the world.
That will help high-value
industries to thrive and attract investors and visitors
to all parts of the North - maximising the region's
contribution to national growth.”
-
The Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse
Partnership, Henri Murison, said “Northern
Powerhouse Rail will enable a single labour market more like
that of London and the South East so a
young person in Bradford could aspire to work in Sheffield or
Manchester, or a business there attract talent from further
afield than they can today. The potential of the North will
be unlocked, giving us better paid jobs and new homes.
The need for improved global connectivity across the
North is huge, and this will be achieved by connecting
Manchester Airport directly to Liverpool and across to cities
like Leeds.”
