Northern Powerhouse Rail upgrade welcomed

Liverpool is among the areas of the North of England that will benefit from faster commutes, better jobs, more homes and increased investment in their communities as the Government launches a major growth plan for the north – with Northern Powerhouse Rail at its heart.

The new growth drive will strengthen connections between some of the fastest growing city regions in the country – connecting Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Warrington, York and improved services to Newcastle and Hull – to drive productivity and create tens of thousands of jobs.

Northern Powerhouse Rail – the backbone of the plan – will see a major new rail service across the north that is faster and more frequent, transforming commutes for Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with services running onto Newcastle and Hull.

From boosted connectivity between these fast-growing city regions will come more jobs, new homes and a greater number of opportunities for businesses to invest and expand.

Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: “A reliable commute, a secure job, a thriving town centre – these are all things that everyone should expect. But over and over again people in Northern communities, from Liverpool and Manchester to York and Newcastle have been let down by broken promises.

“This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt That’s why this government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services.

“This investment is proof we’re putting our money where our mouth is, working with local leaders to deliver the transport links that will help working people do what they need to in life – getting to work, taking the kids to school, or days out with the family.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Our transformative plans will create jobs, build homes and unlock opportunities for businesses to invest. That’s how we deliver economic growth, a renewed Britain and more money in working people’s pockets.”

The Chancellor has backed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) with £1.1 billion over the Spending Review period, allowing progress on planning, development, and design work to be made which will unlock benefits for the people of the North from the 2030s. NPR will build on the Transpennine Upgrade scheme, which is proceeding on time and on budget.

There will be a new route between Liverpool and Manchester, running via Manchester Airport and Warrington, and improved connections across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York. Regular services will run onward to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham; Hull; and Chester for North Wales connections.

This will unlock new benefits for the people of the North supporting new, skilled jobs for the planning, development, design and construction of the project. The Government is working closely with employers and local leaders to help fill local skills gaps and local colleges across the country are already set to receive £570 million to expand their training facilities.

The Government is working with mayors, other local leaders, and businesses to announce more detail on its Northern Growth Strategy taking advantage of these strengths, firing up productivity and prosperity across the North.

Liverpool City Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “I’m really pleased with the Government’s announcement today and its commitment to the northern growth strategy and particularly its backing for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“We really know how this transformational rail investment is really important to the future of Liverpool, the north of England the whole of the United Kingdom.

“So we’re looking forward to getting stuck into the detail, working with Government and making sure all of this investment is delivered.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Two hundred years ago, we built the world’s first passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester – and changed history. After more than a decade of dither, delay and broken promises, this is the start of a new era, with a genuinely strategic approach and a government finally backing Northern Powerhouse Rail in full.

“A creaking rail system has held the North back for too long. Our journeys aren’t just slower – our growth has been slower too. Poor connectivity doesn’t just hold people back – it holds our economy back. It limits our productivity, restricts freight capacity, and chokes off opportunity.

“Today that changes. This is the kind of ambition we’ve been crying out for. Not another empty slogan or back of a fag packet plan but real investment, delivered in a proper partnership with local leaders that will unleash our latent potential and unlock growth in all of our communities right across the great North.”