Blueprint published for transforming transport infrastructure in the North

Transport for the North (TfN) has published its ambitious plans for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the North, enabled by improvements to transport infrastructure.

TfN’s Strategic Transport Plan was approved at the sub-national transport body’s most recent Board Meeting in Leeds by political leaders from across the North, and sets out how investment and transformational transport infrastructure could grow the region’s economy by £118 billion by 2050.

The blueprint which builds on the first plan published five years ago, sets out the case to transform the North’s transport infrastructure and services, demonstrating how better connectivity can enable economic growth, decarbonise our transport system and create more opportunities for all.

TfN’s new Plan is focused on the outcomes needed for people and places, seeking to better connect communities and businesses with services and opportunities. It also includes robust monitoring and evaluation to measure progress year-on-year to make sure the Plan is on track. Work in the Strategic Transport Plan includes:

• The North’s ambition for near zero emissions from surface transport in the region by 2045
• Efforts to reduce car dependency and create the capacity required to grow patronage on our public transport networks
• The scale of change required in accessibility needed to unlock opportunity and reduce social exclusion by one million people by 2050
• A long-term ambition to treble the share of freight carried by rail

Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said:

“Our Strategic Transport Plan sets out Transport for the North’s statutory advice to government on how the North, speaking with one voice, can reach a sustainable, socially inclusive transport network for the future, support growth and employment opportunities.

“The STP will lay the foundations for the transport infrastructure investment for the North for decades to come. We will provide further advice to government on how the plan can be implemented, from the pan-regional investment pipeline required, to efficiencies in how transport infrastructure and services are delivered. The evidence in this STP shows how with sustained investment, the right policy levers and enabling behaviour change, we can truly transform the North.”