Lancashire set to get share of more than £2bn of reallocated HS2 money to improve transport links

Lancashire is set to get a windfall of cash to improve transport links.

People living and working across Lancashire will see better public transport, reduced congestion and upgraded bus and rail stations as part of billions of pounds of investment into towns, smaller cities, and rural areas across the North. 

On Monday, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to reveal how more than £2bn of reallocated HS2 funding will go to local authorities in the North, including across Lancashire, to spend on local transport improvements.

Local authorities will be able to choose which local transport improvements to invest in, including refurbishing bus stations, filling potholes and installing more electric vehicle charging points.

This will be part of more than £4bn due to be announced for local councils across the North and Midlands and will be available from 2025, giving local authorities time to draw up plans and be ready to go when the funding arrives.  

This money will go to local authorities covering rural communities, towns and smaller cities. The Government has already announced an increase in funding for city regions, including Greater Manchester and Liverpool, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

A senior Government source said: "This money will be a huge boost for so many people across Lancashire. It will be local people, rather than ministers in Whitehall, who will be able to decide what local transport improvements they spend this funding on.