Northern Powerhouse Rail link between Liverpool and Manchester progresses

The next steps of development for the Liverpool to Manchester section of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) have been announced following extensive engagement with local leaders and MPs.

This latest iteration identifies a primary route option serving both Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport, broadly confirming the previously proposed route.

Northern Powerhouse Rail aims to be a catalyst for economic growth across the North by transforming east-west transport links and better connecting people to work, education and business opportunities.

Once delivered, passengers will benefit from quicker, more frequent services, which could see journey times cut by around a third, meaning the route between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly would be reduced from around 50 minutes to 35 minutes.

And with more frequent services it will also mean passengers are able to turn up and go, knowing the next train will only be 10 to 15 minutes away. Capacity could also be trebled between Liverpool and Leeds, offering 2,100 extra seats per hour in each direction.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said, “We are setting out the next steps for how we can transform east-west rail links in the North, helping to boost economic growth between key Northern cities as part of our Network North plan.

“I thank local leaders and local MPs for sharing their views and facilitating constructive conversations. I have heard a clear consensus, which means we can now take another crucial step towards delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail, boosting rail capacity, deliver faster journey times and offer better connectivity across the North.

“The announcement follows strong support to retain a station at Manchester Airport, improving its connectivity for the millions of passengers who travel into and out of the airport each year.

“With this plan, Liverpool and Warrington, as well as towns in the east of the Pennines, could benefit from direct services to Manchester Airport. Passengers travelling there from Liverpool could see their journeys to the airport slashed by almost an hour while passengers from Leeds could benefit from a 41-minute reduction.

“A Northern Powerhouse Rail station in Warrington could also support local regeneration ambitions, providing a vital transport interchange in its town centre and making it easily accessible by boosting its links to neighbouring cities.

“A further £35 million has also been released, allowing Network Rail to take forward early design and engineering work to unlock the next phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Leeds. The funding will allow projects, such as the new station in Bradford, to be progressed at pace. “

Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said, “We welcome the progress of further engagement with Northern political and business leaders. It’s essential that any final route is place based and meets the ambitions of local leaders for their residents and businesses.

“Northern Powerhouse Rail is a key cornerstone to how we transform the North for generations to come. We look forward to working with the government to realise our shared ambition for a rail network that the people and businesses of the North truly deserve.”

Ken O’Toole, CEO of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said, “This is an important step forward on the journey towards unlocking the full potential of the Northern economy.

“Better connecting the towns and cities of the North with each other, and with the world, through Manchester Airport rightly sits at the heart of plans to deliver transformational growth across the region.

“Delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail will help maximise the contribution Manchester Airport makes to rebalancing the UK, helping attract up to 50 new long-haul routes and increasing its annual economic impact to £16.2 billion by 2050.”

The progress on Northern Powerhouse Rail, says the government, follows £2.5 billion of reallocated HS2 funding invested directly into the North through the Local Transport Fund to improve local transport connections for more people, in more places, more quickly.

The government will continue to assess alternatives that meet the objectives of Northern Powerhouse Rail in line with standard requirements for business case approvals. Any scheme must be affordable and demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer while seeking to support the rail capacity needs of central Manchester and deliver faster journey times and better connectivity across the North.