Regional leaders welcome £45bn rail boost plans

Regional leaders have welcomed a major rail project in the North of England, with the first improvements due to be made in Yorkshire.

The long-promised Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme will see £45bn of upgrades, with the first phase likely to see lines electrified and the construction of a new station in Bradford.

There will also be upgrades to Leeds, York and Sheffield stations, with a new station for Rotherham also understood to be part of the plan if a business case is approved.

Yorkshire's Labour regional mayors described it as "a once in a generation commitment to improving transport across the North".

An initial £1.1bn has been earmarked for design and preparation, with construction not expected to start until after 2030.

Ministers say the scheme would deliver faster journeys and more frequent trains across the North through a combination of upgraded and new lines and station improvements.

The aim is to improve train services with faster and more frequent journeys and boost the economy, with Treasury officials describing the North as an "untapped gold reserve".

NPR was originally envisaged as a completely new railway line across the North of England stretching from Liverpool to Hull, but the project was scaled back by the Conservative government in 2021.

Announcing the plan, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home, but I've seen first-hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North.

"This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."

Work on NPR is expected to be split into three phases, with Yorkshire prioritised in stage one.

Stage two includes upgrades around Greater Manchester, including a new line from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport and Liverpool.

The final stage, which is not likely to be delivered until the 2040s, would see construction of a new railway line between Bradford and Huddersfield.

It aims to link Bradford with Manchester stations and faster rail services.

There would also be further work to improve the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester.

In a joint statement, the regional mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire said: "The long-term commitment will transform Yorkshire's transport network and deliver improved links across our region and on to Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle.

"It'll mean we can deliver quicker, more reliable journeys, opening up more choice around work, skills and opportunity for everyone across Yorkshire."

But the Conservatives accused the government of "watering down" NPR, saying ministers had "put back any plans to actually deliver it and rewritten timetables on the fly".

Shadow rail minister Jerome Mayhew said: "Labour lurch from review to review, deadline to deadline, with no grip on costs, no clarity on scope and no courage to make decisions.

"NPR could have been transformational, empowering regional growth and regeneration. Under Labour it risks becoming a permanent mirage that is endlessly redesigned, downgraded and never delivered."

A new station in Bradford has been a long-held desire for Bradford Council.

Trains currently travel into the 1970s-built Bradford Interchange terminus before having to reverse out.

The new stop would be a "through" station allowing trains to continue their journey without the need to reverse, leading to faster journeys.

The government has not said how much money will be spent on specific phases or upgrades, but has committed £45bn over the next 20 years, rising with inflation.

Sheffield City Council has welcomed the announcement, saying faster and more reliable journeys would help businesses and give people access to more opportunities.

Council leader Tom Hunt said: "Being included in the first phase of the Northern Powerhouse Rail plans means that the early stages of delivery will provide better, faster trains to Leeds and Manchester, upgrades to capacity at Sheffield station and an important commitment from government to work with us on our tram-train expansion."

Independent campaigning group Railfuture Yorkshire said several major rail and transport gaps had not been addressed by the government, including capacity problems between York and Darlington, that limit the number of TransPennine Express services and leave Thirsk without direct trains to Darlington, Durham or Newcastle.

Chair Nina Smith said the region could not afford to wait until the 2030s for improvements.

She said: "Trains are overcrowded and delays commonplace. Railfuture welcomes the government's commitment to invest in the North's railways, but we are concerned that the proposals do not go far enough and will not be delivered fast enough.

"Passenger numbers are increasing at record rates and Yorkshire's rail operators are facing an overcrowding crisis. Yorkshire's long-suffering rail passengers need more trains and extra carriages now."

Tom Forth, co-founder of Leeds-based company The Data City, said proposals to increase trains between Leeds and Sheffield would have a positive impact.

"That makes it easier for me to do business in Sheffield, to collaborate with people in Sheffield, for people in Sheffield to do business with me, even to have people working for me who are living in Sheffield, in and around Sheffield," he said.

"I think that will have a pretty instant improvement."

However, Peter Kennan, co-chair of the South Yorkshire Transport Forum for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said he was worried discussions were mainly focused on major cities.

"I want to hear more about what's happening in Rotherham, what's happening in Barnsley and in the Dearne Valley," he said.

"It's not all about Sheffield to Leeds connectivity. How do we deliver a new intercity station in Rotherham? How can we get a rail connection to Doncaster Sheffield Airport for example?"

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.