Support for Northern Powerhouse Rail submission

8 February 2019

The Transport for the North Board has agreed to submit a business case for investing up to £39bn in Northern Powerhouse Rail, a project to transform rail travel across the North including through a new line connecting Leeds and Manchester via a city centre station in Bradford.

Transport for the North's announcement can be found here

Responding, Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leader of Bradford Council, said: "Northern Powerhouse Rail, delivering a new line between Manchester and Leeds with a city centre station in Bradford, is an essential element of the comprehensive investment in transport infrastructure we need across the North. The North of England is collectively setting out a powerful positive case to the Government to support this project to deliver for our communities and the UK as a whole."

Cllr Judith Blake, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Lead on Transport, Transport for the North Board Representative and Leader of Leeds City Council, said: "Integrated with HS2 at a redeveloped Leeds Station, Northern Powerhouse Rail can deliver transformational opportunities to all our communities and in doing so bring benefits to the wider UK economy. The capacity pressures on the existing network are increasingly evident and Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 and an upgraded trans-Pennine line all have a critical role to play in ensuring we have the range and quality of services we need."

Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Transport Committee, said: "We are working hard to ensure that our future plans for local and regional transport are integrated with Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 to ensure the positive impact of these major investments are enjoyed across the region. The agreement to submit the business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail is a significant step forward in delivering the modern reliable transport network our communities need and deserve."

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, Chair of the NP11 Board and Transport for the North Board Representative, said: "The North has set out a clear ambition to deliver 850,000 additional jobs by 2050 with better transport links identified as one of the building blocks to achieving that goal. Northern Powerhouse Rail is a central pillar of the transport investment programme we require and I hope the Government responds positively to this business case."