DfT press release on Northern Powerhouse Rail

[snowball]

This press release has appeared on the DfT website:

Government sets out next steps on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester

Passengers will benefit from faster journey times, more frequent rail services and better connectivity across the North.

www.gov.uk

progress on development of the rail link between Liverpool and Manchester  following engagement with local leaders and local MPs
clear consensus from local leaders for stations at Warrington and Manchester Airport to be served as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail
follows government’s £36 billion Network North plan to improve the country’s transport through unprecedented levels of investment in towns, cities and rural areas

The next steps of development for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) between Manchester and Liverpool have been announced today (25 March 2024), following extensive engagement with local leaders and local MPs by Ministers.

The announcement comes after the government’s Network North plan confirmed £12 billion to boost connections and enable Northern Powerhouse Rail to be delivered as previously set out.

As part of this plan, the government committed to engage with local leaders and MPs to hear their views on the use of this funding and consider any alternative proposals they had to improve connections.

Local leaders and MPs expressed support for Northern Powerhouse Rail to serve Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport and for using broadly the previously proposed route between Liverpool and Manchester.

Taking account of local views, this will be the primary option for the next stage of development for the route between Liverpool and Manchester.

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.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will be a catalyst for economic growth across the North of England 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.

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:

Today, 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, part of this government’s plan to boost rail capacity, deliver faster journey times and offer better connectivity across the North.

Today’s 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.

As part of the government’s engagement with local leaders and local MPs, they asked for further options to be explored around the station design at Manchester Piccadilly and the approach into Liverpool.

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 vital projects, such as the new station in Bradford, to be progressed at pace. 

The government will seek permission from Parliament to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to remove the scope that was only needed on High Speed 2 (HS2). A further environmental assessment will be produced as part of this adaptation, with a view to reducing impacts where possible.

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.

Northern Powerhouse Rail underpins this government’s Network North plan to level up our towns and cities and inject unprecedented levels of investment into transforming our transport network.

Metro Mayors in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region are also benefitting from more than £1.7 billion from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) from now until 2027 and have been allocated an additional £4 billion from 2027 until 2032 to improve transport across the region, funded in part from reallocated HS2 funding.

The progress on Northern Powerhouse Rail 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.

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.

We look forward to working with government and regional partners to drive this vision forward.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I like the way they can talk about a 41-minute reduction in Leeds-Liverpool journey time, without giving any hint of how or where the NPR route (outside the ex-HS2 trace) will be built.
The 35-minute Liverpool-Manchester target timing is actually more than the 32-minute timing TPE achieved via Chat Moss in 2018 (before intermediate stops were added).
Looks like the northern interests haven't given up the desire for a though station in Manchester.

 

[Djgr]

I like the way they can talk about a 41-minute reduction in Leeds-Liverpool journey time, without giving any hint of how or where the NPR route (outside the ex-HS2 trace) will be built.
The 35-minute Liverpool-Manchester target timing is actually more than the 32-minute timing TPE achieved via Chat Moss in 2018 (before intermediate stops were added).
Looks like the northern interests haven't given up the desire for a though station in Manchester.

Gosh it's real garbage isn't it. Just trying to find anything half tangible in the article. It almost feels like it was written by an AI bot!

 

[snowball]

Written statement to Parliament

Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester

Passengers will benefit from a £12 billion rail investment for the North, including faster journey times and more frequent services.

www.gov.uk

On 4 October 2023, the government announced Network North – a new, £36 billion plan to improve our country’s transport. In addition to this, we confirmed £12 billion of investment to enable Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) to proceed in line with previous plans to better connect Liverpool and Manchester. As promised in the Network North announcement, the Rail Minister and I have engaged extensively with local leaders to ensure that this plan was right for them and to understand whether they wished to suggest alternative ways to achieve the objectives with that funding.

We have heard from these stakeholders in favour of continuing to serve Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport and using broadly the current route towards Manchester as part of our Northern Powerhouse Rail plans. There is also interest from local leaders in exploring further options for station design at Manchester Piccadilly and for routings into Liverpool including station options. Government remains open to considering these issues, subject, as usual, to affordability within the funding envelope, standard business case approvals and demonstrating value for taxpayers’ money. I look forward to continuing discussions on these points.

Recognising the consensus reached, I am today (25 March 2024) confirming that this will represent the basis for the next stage of development. As with any major scheme, delivery will be subject to securing consent and the approval of future business cases. Further, while the consensus reached will form the primary option that we work from, government will continue to assess alternatives which meet the objectives of NPR 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 Pennines.

On this basis, I will be continuing to promote the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill as the fastest possible means of consenting the first part of that route into Manchester. Subject to the will of the House, the government will seek to adapt the Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail only, removing scope south of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for High Speed 2 (HS2). The adaptation of the Bill from HS2 to NPR and removal of HS2 scope from the Bill would prompt a further environmental assessment to be produced which would include revised construction impacts with a view to reducing impacts where possible.

In line with these plans, HS2 Phase 2b safeguarding will be amended by summer 2024, to allow for any safeguarding needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

 

[GJMarshy]

A trap set by the tories to force Labour into having to "scrap" NPR (as envisioned and backed by TfN for years)

Without HS2 sharing the line, the BCR will not stack up, especially for the very few number of trains that would use the route. Note that from high Leigh to Piccadilly alone will cost £12b, not accounting for an underground station at piccadilly (add roughly 2.5b). It would do barely anything to rectify the Manchester bottleneck, which post TRU will have 10 fast trains per hour crossing the city. They need somewhere to go.

Again, a tory trap, as per usual. This is far from good news, and if anything will force the entire NPR programme back to the drawing board adding years-decades to the delivery envelope. All would have been avoidable had TfN board members (made up of Norther Mayors etc) not continued to insist on direct connectivity with Manchester Airport.

It's a sad state of affairs that all this has happened, but (trying very hard to see the light) we might end up with a better solution, even if it means potentially a decade of delay in terms of delivery. Should kick TfN into touch.

 

[Pinus contorta]

I like the use of consensus and consent in the third paragraph of the statement to obfuscate things as much as possible

 

[jonesy3001]

Wouldn't it better just to electrify the CLC line between trafford park and liverpool south parkway instead of building a new line?

 

[Legolash2o]

Does all this include a new line between Manchester and Leeds? All seems like rhetoric and don't see any of it happening.

 

[snowball]

Does all this include a new line between Manchester and Leeds? All seems like rhetoric and don't see any of it happening.

The Integrated Rail Plan of November 2021 proposed a new line from Piccadilly HS2/NPR station, Manchester, to somewhere near Marsden, just east of Standedge tunnel. From there trains would use the existing route via Huddersfield. A third track would be added from Marsden most of the way to Huddersfield, and the route is already being rebuilt and four-tracked from Huddersfield almost to Dewsbury as part of the Transpennine upgrade. I think this is still the plan.

Wouldn't it better just to electrify the CLC line between trafford park and liverpool south parkway instead of building a new line?

Wouldn't serve the airport, wouldn't relieve the Castlefield corridor and would still have conflict between fast and stopping trains.

 

[Wyrleybart]

I like the way they can talk about a 41-minute reduction in Leeds-Liverpool journey time, without giving any hint of how or where the NPR route (outside the ex-HS2 trace) will be built.
The 35-minute Liverpool-Manchester target timing is actually more than the 32-minute timing TPE achieved via Chat Moss in 2018 (before intermediate stops were added).
Looks like the northern interests haven't given up the desire for a though station in Manchester.

Isn't Manchester Victoria a through station ?

 

[AndrewE]

"delivery will be subject to securing consent and the approval of future business cases" is absolute tosh. Either the need is established or it has been promised and they want it built (in which case JFDI) or they are putting in excuses to not do it just in case they find themselves back in office.

Isn't Manchester Victoria a through station ?

Yes, but it's a bit full already.

 

[jonesy3001]

Didn't they start building tunnels for the pic-vic project before it got abandoned for the metrolink?

 

[GJMarshy]

Didn't they start building tunnels for the pic-vic project before it got abandoned for the metrolink?

Yes the old Pic-Vic concept!

The idea was that at the time, the North & South networks in Manchester ran entirely separately. The Pic-Vic was intended to connect the dense areas of South Manchester to Victoria (where they could access east-west services) as well the northern areas to Piccadilly. It would double up as a sort of S-Bahn style core with multiple central stations, however was obviously ditched.

Today with the Metrolink & Ordsall chord such a tunnel would no longer make sense. Any new tunnel will likely now be on an east-west axis, rather than a north-south one.

 

[Snow1964]

Didn't they start building tunnels for the pic-vic project before it got abandoned for the metrolink?

Yes, it was on a TV programme few months back, the tunnel is there in basement of Arndale centre (or whatever it is called). Hasn't been filled in, just waiting to be connected

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Isn't Manchester Victoria a through station ?

Yes, but the Mayors' vision is Liverpool-Warrington-Airport-Piccadilly-Miles Platting/Marsden with a through NPR station underground in Manchester.

 

[jonesy3001]

Yes, it was on a TV programme few months back, the tunnel is there in basement of Arndale centre (or whatever it is called). Hasn't been filled in, just waiting to be connected

Surprised they don't use that or is it far off the line they are wanting.

 

[Snow1964]

Today with the Metrolink & Ordsall chord such a tunnel would no longer make sense. Any new tunnel will likely now be on an east-west axis, rather than a north-south one.

Linking a railway map of Manchester, as it helps explain the orientations of lines

mæntʃɛstər: Photo

SPREADING MY <b>LOVE</b><br> FOR <b>MANCHESTER</b> <br> <b>TAG</b> BY <b>TAG</b>*

manchestergalore.tumblr.com

 

[snowball]

Picc-Vic itself never got any funding, or a planning application or equivalent, so whatever is being referred to here as having been built, can't have been a very big part of the scheme.

It would have followed the route shown by the orange line on this map:

https://alchetron.com/cdn/picc-vic-tunnel-597de53d-162e-4dca-a86f-1fb212f9a12-resize-750.jpg

 

[Snow1964]

Surprised they don't use that or is it far off the line they are wanting.

It wasn't the running tunnel, more the station entrance and ticket hall where escalators could have accessed the tube style platform tunnels. I am guessing could still be used.

The proposed running lines curved in a big loop to avoid the underground telephone exchange and nuclear bunker under Piccadilly gardens (which were secret 50 years ago), but whose presence was advised to lines engineers

 

[daodao]

Yes, but the Mayors' vision is Liverpool-Warrington-Airport-Piccadilly-Miles Platting/Marsden with a through NPR station underground in Manchester.

The Manchester Airport "tail" is wagging the dog. As other posters have stated above, the Liverpool-Manchester journey time is already 35 minutes by the direct line via Chat Moss (and could be even less without intermediate stops), and there is already a through station in Manchester (Victoria) for direct trains from Liverpool to Leeds and beyond.

The big question for this proposed line is whether the business case will be proven after detailed investigation, given the enormous costs of this roundabout route from Liverpool to Manchester with the requirement for extensive tunnelling.

 

[CdBrux]

The Manchester Airport "tail" is wagging the dog. As other posters have stated above, the Liverpool-Manchester journey time is already 35 minutes by the direct line via Chat Moss (and could be even less without intermediate stops), and there is already a through station in Manchester (Victoria) for direct trains from Liverpool to Leeds and beyond.

The big question for this proposed line is whether the business case will be proven after detailed investigation, given the enormous costs of this roundabout route from Liverpool to Manchester with the requirement for extensive tunnelling.

The Mayor's proposal must be also taken with the revised HS2 proposal, from one of the same Mayor's, which would link into it. I.e mostly back to the previous scheme

 

[thealexweb]

Absolutely pointless. Complete all the pre-approved/previously cancelled mini schemes before duplicating existing lines.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absolutely pointless. Complete all the pre-approved/previously cancelled mini schemes before duplicating existing lines.

To be fair Liverpool-Manchester DOES need a new line. It's vital to allow local services on the CLC and Chat Moss to be increased to Merseyrail style levels.

 

[HSTEd]

A trap set by the tories to force Labour into having to "scrap" NPR (as envisioned and backed by TfN for years)

Without HS2 sharing the line, the BCR will not stack up, especially for the very few number of trains that would use the route. Note that from high Leigh to Piccadilly alone will cost £12b, not accounting for an underground station at piccadilly (add roughly 2.5b). It would do barely anything to rectify the Manchester bottleneck, which post TRU will have 10 fast trains per hour crossing the city. They need somewhere to go.

If you have a tunnel to the airport relatively little track beyond that would allow a lot of trains to use it.
And there is zero chance of an underground station, as much as Andy Burnham wants one.

A handful of kilometres of surface track beyond Manchester Airport would allow several trains per hour to shift onto the route, including the Mid Cheshire local trains, trains to Chester and North Wales, trains from Manchester to Crewe and some others.

 

[snowball]

The Mayor's proposal must be also taken with the revised HS2 proposal, from one of the same Mayor's, which would link into it. I.e mostly back to the previous scheme

Though there's no evidence yet that the government will accept that or any similar scheme, or that the mayors' private funding proposal would work.

 

[MPW]

I see this as positive. NPR and HS2 (in whatever name) are a series of infrastructure projects. Great if they can get ball rolling on some of those even if further work is needed to realise the full benefits.

Sometimes you have to just eat the eggs the hen has laid that morning, rather than go hungry waiting for the full dozen.

 

[mike57]

Whats the likelihood of anything actually happening, close to zero I would say. (Definition of 'happening', boots on the ground, construction started) The 4 tracking east of Huddersfield is still a good few years off, there is still a lot of electrification to complete between York Leeds and Manchester, and no affordable plan for dealing with traffic through Manchester. It seems like someones wish list, it doesn't even seem to have got to the 'crayon' stage. Add to that the availability of funds and the fact that the next government, likely a Labour one, dont seem any more interested than the current lot. What they should be working on is getting the best out of the current routes.

 

[185]

The 35-minute Liverpool-Manchester target timing is actually more than the 32-minute timing TPE achieved via Chat Moss in 2018

That's been done in 27-28 mins. No need for a shiny line that goes all over the place, when the near perfectly straight Chat Moss line is already there. Should spend the money four tracking it throughout & replacing the viaduct. Whilst Chat Moss needs adequate local & semifast services -it also needs at least two non-stop trains per hour taking 30 minutes, no messing around with Lea Green or Newton for the small handful of short-hop passengers boarding there - 95% on TPE are going city to city. Leigh & Cultcheth needs a parkway station and the crossing box at Astley needs to go.

 

[HSTEd]

That's been done in 27-28 mins. No need for a shiny line that goes all over the place, when the near perfectly straight Chat Moss line is already there. Should spend the money four tracking it throughout & replacing the viaduct.

Four tracking it would cost literal billions, I doubt it would be much cheaper than a new line and be far more disruptive.
It would require piles of demolition too, its politically impossible.
Indeed, the parallels between Hangar Lane Gyratory and the roundabout at the end of the M602 are kind of glaring.....

And that's before we consider the poor quality of the formation over the Chat Moss, which is inherent in its original construction method.

Whilst Chat Moss needs adequate local & semifast services -it also needs at least two non-stop trains per hour taking 30 minutes, no messing around with Lea Green or Newton for the small handful of short-hop passengers boarding there

The trains stop at Lea Green and Newton because otherwise they would just get signal checked by the stoppers ahead of them.
The fundamental limit here is that the line is a two track railway and is packed with stations.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

What they should be working on is getting the best out of the current routes.

The trouble is we are pretty much at that point already. The justification for HS2 out of London applies just as much to the Liverpool-Leeds axis ie a new route will allow faster longer-distance services to be almost completely separated from local/regional services allowing the latter to run more frequently. A do nothing approach would mean the only improvement available is to maximise train lengths as much as possible but even that needs significant spending on stations and junctions. While most here are aware of the problems around the Castlefield corridor sooner or later we will also need to address capacity issues in Liverpool and Leeds. It's hard to see any meaningful improvements coming without some serious earth moving.