Northern leaders welcome progress on Transpennine Route Upgrade

The Board of Transport for the North (TfN), which comprises transport and local leaders from across Northern England, welcomed the recent progress being made on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, improving the main rail link between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade is a multi-million pound programme of railway improvements along the 70-mile route between Manchester, Leeds and York. Meeting in Manchester on Thursday 22nd June, the TfN board discussed how the work will deliver improved outcomes for residents and businesses across Northern England.

Whilst some elements of the TRU programme are still in design phase, key elements of work are already being delivered. A full junction remodelling at Stalybridge has completed, allowing trains to move between different lines at higher speeds, plus signalling upgrades and works for future electrification.

Once complete, the Transpennine Route Upgrade will allow for more trains between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York with up to six fast services every hour between Leeds and Manchester and up to two stopping services for local connectivity.

Freight services will also improve under the programme, with up to 15 more freight trains per day able to use the upgraded route, which is expected to remove over 1,000 lorries off the road each day. The improvement for freight services is particularly notable, given that over a third of goods enter the UK via Northern ports, and the region being the starting point for a quarter of freight in mainland Britain.

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

“It is heartening to see Government continue to move forward with investment in the TransPennine Route Upgrade and to retain its commitment to the initial stages of the Northern Powerhouse Rail through funding of the Integrated Rail Plan. Our focus as a Board is on a rail service that is reliable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable and we will continue to bring forward credible and affordable long-term proposals for transforming the North’s transport network.

“We are pleased with the programme’s progress which demonstrates how speaking with one voice on key transport investment decisions for the region is necessary if we are to drive inclusive and sustainable transformational economic growth and rebalance the UK economy.

“We still believe that the TRU should be wholly electrified and be fully gauge cleared for W10/W12 to support the growth in freight movements from our Northern ports, so supporting the North to reach its true economical potential.

“Transport for the North has established a clear role working alongside Government, our member bodies and the wider transport sector, to deliver improved outcomes, such as those outlined in the TRU, for our residents and businesses.”