STORY
A multi-billion-pound package of Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals has been launched with the government promising quicker commutes across Yorkshire, upgraded routes and a renewed push to improve rail connections to the North East, including progressing work on the business case for reopening the Leamside Line.
Ministers said the first phase would prioritise upgrades and electrification on the Leeds–Sheffield, Leeds–York and Leeds–Bradford corridors, with delivery expected in the 2030s. The plans also include further development work at Leeds, Sheffield and York stations, while the government said it would press ahead with work on a new Bradford station intended to put the city “at the heart of the northern network”.
The Department for Transport said £1.1 billion has been allocated to accelerate planning and development, and confirmed a £45 billion cap for the wider programme, describing it as a bid to avoid the cost overruns associated with major projects such as HS2. It also highlighted more than £11 million of local transport funding for South Yorkshire to develop a proposed Rotherham Gateway station.
For the North East, ministers said NPR services would run onwards to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, alongside work to advance the Leamside Line business case. The press release pointed to a recent £4 billion investment in the East Coast Main Line and said a new timetable has added 60,000 extra seats a week.