These are the rail schemes the North wants while it's waiting for HS2 to arrive

Northern transport leaders are pushing for Ministers to start work on a host of major transport projects in the next few years while they wait to hear how the flagship HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) schemes would fit together.
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Transport for the North (TfN) is pushing for both the high speed rail projects to be delivered at the same time to provide the maximum benefit for northern England.

But in their submission to the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan, which sets out the timescales for major transport schemes in the North and Midlands, they argue that work should begin soon on other schemes.

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TfN says that by electrifying existing lines, upgrading signalling and creating new platforms, benefits would delivered to passenger and freight lines which would improve capacity and reliability to aid the North’s economic recovery.

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The hope is that a sustained period of investment would give greater confidence to businesses and the supply chain than the current ‘‘stop/start’’ trend of transport investment which has blighted the North over the years.

A report says: “There are very clear opportunities for accelerating a wide range of schemes across the North which could be delivered in the next 10 years and provide the foundations for a modernised rail network and could allow NPR services to start running in the 2020s.”

Among them are the electrification of the line between Leeds and Hull, a freight priority route on the East Coast main line between London, Yorkshire and the North East and improvements to the Hope Valley route between Sheffield and Manchester.

Leeds station is one of the busiest in the country.Leeds station is one of the busiest in the country.
Leeds station is one of the busiest in the country.
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The Integrated Rail Plan, which is due to be published before the end of the year, was first announced in February by Boris Johnson as he announced that the high speed rail project HS2 would go ahead despite opposition from many Tories.

It will consider how Phase 2b bringing high speed rail to Leeds and Manchester will connect with NPR, which aims to improve east-west connections between the North’s major cities.

TfN argues that NPR should be completed at the same time as HS2 Phase 2b, despite it not yet having formal approval from government.

A report by TfN said: “From the outset NPR and HS2 need to be planned and built as a single network, as opposed to NPR being viewed as an ‘add on’ to a fixed HS2 scope and programme.”

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David Hughes, Strategy and Programmes Director at Transport for the North, said: “HS2 and NPR together will help to level-up our region and establish the fundamental backbone of a new rail network that the North deserves.

“But whilst these projects are being planned and consented, there’s also a raft of quick win rail investments that can be accelerated within the next decade to help propel the economy and deliver tangible benefits for passengers.

“Whether early parts of the NPR network or complementary projects on existing tracks.

“These schemes – such as electrification of existing lines, upgraded signalling and new platforms – would deliver benefits to passengers and freight over the coming years, delivering improvements in capacity, reliability and connectivity to support economic recovery.

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“It’s essential the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan delivers a pipeline of sustained infrastructure investment over the coming years, and that’s backed up by the right capital envelope to deliver the North’s ambitions.”

Among the schemes TfN hopes the Government will fund are:

- Carlisle, Lancaster, Preston, and Wigan station upgrades;

- Crewe Hub (excluding Crewe North connection to HS2);

- Castlefield Corridor and Manchester area reliability works

- Liverpool Central platform capacity improvements;

- East Coast Freight priority route and related reliability enhancements (including Leamside reopening, Yarm gauge works, some capacity works at York and Doncaster);

- Leamside Newcastle – Washington passenger service – but only if integrated with NPR and East Coast freight priority routes;

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- Hope Valley (journey time, reliability and local capacity improvements – but not large enough to trigger works at Stockport or HS2 Reddish North Link link-line);

- Electrification NPR East (Leeds – Hull including Hambleton, Selby – Temple Hirst Junction, Micklefield – Church Fenton and Doncaster – Sheffield);

- NPR Stations at Dearne Valley and Rotherham and tram train in South Yorkshire

- Selection of preferred route and gauge clearance for Transpennine freight; 11.Testing WCML freight priority scheme via Sandbach if required;

- .Capacity and reliability works at Leeds and Sheffield;

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