Northern Powerhouse Rail plan approved as part of £70bn transport bid

TfN's board agreed to submit proposals to invest up to £39 billion in a modern rail network for the North.

And political and business leaders will call on Government to fully commit to the project.

The plan is part of a £70 billion transport plan for the North

It paves the way for a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to be submitted to Government.

It will outline how the investment could increase the capacity, speed and resilience of the North’s rail network. In doing so, passengers will experience faster and far more reliable journeys between the North’s economies, as well as its largest international airport.

With options including significant upgrades and new railway lines, work on the network could start as early as 2024.

The document itself will remain confidential whilst considered by Government.

It outlines several concepts that will form the basis of further detailed development over the next 18 months, funded by an additional £37 million allocated in last Autumn’s Budget.

It features high-level concepts aimed at fully integrating with HS2 including:

*A new line linking Leeds and Manchester via Bradford, including the option for a Bradford city centre station

*A new twin-track line linking Liverpool to HS2 and onwards to Manchester and other Northern cities, via Warrington and Manchester Airport

*Significant upgrades and integration with HS2 linking Leeds and Sheffield

*Significant upgrades between Sheffield, Leeds and Hull

*Significant upgrades of the Hope Valley corridor between Manchester and Sheffield

*Hub concepts for Northern Powerhouse Rail stations

HS2 is only scheduled to reach the Wigan area at the moment,with connections to Preston and the North.