A step change in connectivity

“A step change in the level of rail connectivity between some of the North’s largest cities is required to support opportunities and choices to the next generation of workers and businesses.”

That is the message from Transport for the North’s Strategic Transport Plan, published on January 16 and which explains the emerging vision behind Northern Powerhouse Rail (the network of lines linking the North’s six largest cities, and once informally known as High Speed 3).

While “alternative concepts” will continue to be examined, the present vision includes a new line between Liverpool and the HS2 Manchester spur via Warrington, and capacity at Piccadilly for around eight through services per hour.

Across the Pennines a new rail line will link Manchester, Bradford and Leeds, and there will be significant upgrades along the Manchester-Stockport-Sheffield Hope Valley Line.

TfN is also exploring plans for shorter-term improvements along the Hope Valley Line, but if the result is not radical enough, the Plan says that further assessment of a new line between Manchester and Sheffield will be made.

Running north-south, HS2 will form the rapid Sheffield-Leeds link, and the East Coast Main Line will be upgraded on to Newcastle.

And the existing Leeds-SelbyHull and Sheffield-Doncaster-Hull lines will be upgraded.