The government has set out its plan to improve rail links between cities and towns in the north of England, with a multibillion-pound infrastructure scheme known as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
The project was first mooted 10 years ago, but now the government has pledged an initial £1.1bn for design and preparation.
There is a cap of £45bn on central funding over the scheme’s lifetime, which could last well into the 2030s.
As such, the Treasury pointed out that NPR will remain “within a fair funding envelope over its entire construction period to ensure it remains good value for taxpayers both now and in the future, avoiding a repeat of past mistakes where major projects like HS2 have gone significantly over budget”.
Director of policy and public affairs for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Ben Goodwin said: “If the government is to make sure it is now successfully delivered, it needs to work with industry to ensure that inefficiencies associated with delays, redesigns, or stop-start decision-making are avoided.
“CECA members have the expertise and capability to deliver complex major infrastructure such as Northern Powerhouse Rail and will be itching to get started – providing all stages of the project are supported by stable pipelines, realistic procurement models, and early contractor engagement.”
There will be different phases to NPR – the first will be upgrades to lines between Leeds, York, Bradford and Sheffield.
The first phase will also look at developing the Leamside Line, which would run from Pelaw in Gateshead to Tursdale in County Durham in the North East.
Kim McGuinness, mayor of the North East, described the Leamside Line as a “once in a generation project that has the potential to transform our communities”.
According to the government’s plan, the second phase will see a new route between Manchester and Liverpool, running via Manchester Airport and Warrington.
Phase three will involve significant improvements to rail links between Manchester and cities in Yorkshire.
“After years of delays and false starts, this announcement provides the certainty that businesses and communities have been waiting for. But commitment must now translate into delivery,” said Richard Whitehead, chief executive Europe & India at Aecom.
Lessons from HS2
Meanwhile, Sam Gould, director of policy and external affairs at the Institution of Civil Engineers said all involved in NPR “must learn the lessons from HS2”.
“The purpose of the project must be clear, who is in charge must be clear, the right capability and understanding must be present in government departments, and the project must be sufficiently developed before ground is broken,” he added.
Most of the spending and construction for NPR will take place in the 2030s and 2040s. One lesson that has been learned from HS2 is that there are no binding dates for the openings of the new lines and stations.
Indeed, part of the plan will eventually be focused on building a new rail line between Birmingham and Manchester, but the government is adamant that this would not be a reinstatement of the cancelled part of HS2. Instead, the government said it would “launch a feasibility study, working with local partners on what will be delivered, when and to what specifications”.
While welcoming the announcement to potentially build a Birmingham to Manchester link, those involved in HS2 felt it lacked detail in a number of areas.
“The industry is concerned, though, that the timescales for delivering this new line appear uncertain and potentially some decades away,” a spokesperson for the High Speed Rail Group said. “We are also concerned that the government does not intend to extend the land purchase powers between Birmingham and Crewe, which expire next month.
“It makes more sense to retain these legal powers while the government develops a clear, costed plan for connections north beyond HS2.”
Nonetheless, the government said NPR would transform the nature of travel in the North and encourage investment that, it predicted, would add £40bn to the UK economy.
“This new era of investment will not just speed up journeys, it will mean new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives,” transport secretary Heidi Alexander said.
“The exciting improved stations across Leeds, Sheffield, York and Bradford will reflect the prestigious place rail holds in the northern economy, and regenerate vibrant, bustling districts in these cities.”
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Matthew Davies