Following Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ announcement of investment of over £600 million in rail projects in Northern England, Transport for the North (TfN) has welcomed the news.
The sub-national transport body also praised the establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council to give the region a strong voice in securing infrastructure investment.
TfN Chief Executive, Barry White, said of the government investment:
We are delighted to see today’s announcement committing £600m to the Transpennine Route Upgrade, a key artery for passengers and freight in the north. This is a major step forward and we also welcome the commitment to develop proposals to fully the electrify the line – something that we asked Government to consider. We will continue to make the case for the further substantial investment needed to fully deliver this crucial project.
“We also welcome the announcement of a Northern Transport Acceleration Council and a DfT North; it is important that TfN, reflecting the voice of the 15 million people in the North, and the new organisations work in partnership to build back better and level up.
“We will work with the government and these new structures to promote faster decisions and speedier investment into the north.”
Government has committed £589 million into a major upgrade of the Transpennine route from Manchester to Leeds for both passenger trains and freight, bringing East-West connectivity benefits to the wider region, as well as a number of smaller projects in North East England.
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