Plan for trans-Pennine railway to be ‘fully-electrified’ route
TRANSPORT SECRETARY Grant Shapps has revealed plans for trains between York, Leeds and Manchester to run on a “first-class, fully-electrified railway” as he announced nearly £600m to pay for upgrades to the vital route.
Mr Shapps said £589m will be used to speed up trains and boost reliability on the 76-mile Transpennine route by electrifying much of the line and doubling the number of tracks from two to four on congested stretches.
And in a change of approach to his predecessor Chris Grayling, who imposed a £2.9bn budget on the scheme which meant only two-thirds of the route could be electrified, he said the Government’s ambition was to go further and introduce full electrification.
As well as offering a marginal increase in speed, full electrification will mean trains across the Pennines perform better and more reliably but also produce less pollution.
Mr Shapps also confirmed reports that a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council, dedicated to getting vital infrastructure projects delivered more quickly, would be set up.
The establishment of the new body, which will be chaired by the Transport Secretary and will give northern leaders a “direct line” to Ministers, throws into doubt the future of existing strategic body Transport for the North.
Mr Shapps writes today that the “sheer scale” of the high speed Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 projects connecting the major cities of the North mean they will not be finished until the late 2030s. He said: “Passengers need change sooner than that. One of the most glaring examples of inadequate transport links in this part of the country is the Transpennine railway connecting Leeds with Manchester.
“For too long, this vital artery, joining two great cities and the other cities of the North that connect with them, has been plagued by delays. Inadequate capacity – twin track where it should be four-track – results in choke points which force express and local stopping trains to jumble up, slowing everything down.”
He said the funding announced, which will create more space for fast trains to overtake slower vehicles, was “just the beginning of our plans for the TRU, and only a taste of the funding to come”.
He said: “I want it to be a firstclass, fully-electrified railway with more four-tracking and room for freight, not an alsoran in comparison with the East and West Coast Mainlines.
“Travelling from Liverpool to Newcastle via Yorkshire should be a smooth, seamless journey, not an obstacle course - and passengers will start to see the benefits in four years. TRU will allow the economic heart of Yorkshire to beat more powerfully.
“People, commerce and ideas will flow more freely. This is the payback for investment that will climb into the billions.”
The Government says that as part of its ‘integrated rail plan’, due to be published in December, full electrification, digital signalling, more multi-tracking and improved freight capacity are now “under consideration”.
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon said the Government had “flipflopped on electrifying and upgrading the TransPennine route”.
He said: “It was a 2015 Tory manifesto commitment that they then scrapped later that year.
“It was subsequently unscrapped and then mooted for another cancellation in 2018. Finally it’s been reannounced every six months since with limited progress made. It’s been an absolute mess.
“Northern Powerhouse rail was first announced six years ago and is still yet to be formally approved by the Government. In June 2014, then Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds.
“In April 2020, it was revealed that the Government still hasn’t approved the plans yet. They must get on and get it built.”
Judith Blake, leader of Leeds city council and transport lead for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, welcomed the announcement but asked government to set out what the full benefits for passengers will be.
“I want it to be a firstclass, fully-electrified railway with more four-tracking and room for freight..”
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