"Long-awaited plans for better railways across the north of England have been given government backing with an undertaking to reverse years of chronic underinvestment by spending up to 45bn building Northern Powerhouse Rail. Just over 1bn has been allocated to work up a detailed three-stage plan to connect cities from Liverpool to Newcastle, which could fulfil most of the demands of northern leaders, in a series of long-term projects."
"However, mayors may have to raise local funding to pay for parts of the scheme, with the Treasury imposing a 45bn cap as it seeks to avoid the huge overspend that has blighted the construction of HS2. The government also set out its intention to build a Birmingham-Manchester line after the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), although it insisted this was not a reinstatement of HS2."
Government backing commits up to 45bn to build Northern Powerhouse Rail connecting cities across the north of England. Just over 1bn has been allocated to produce a detailed three-stage plan linking Liverpool to Newcastle. Treasury has imposed a 45bn funding cap and mayors may need to raise local revenue to fund parts of the scheme. The programme prioritises upgraded TransPennine links and a new Bradford station, followed by a Liverpool–Manchester line via Manchester Airport and Warrington, and further Pennines connections between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York. Construction is expected to start in the 2030s and complete no earlier than 2045.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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