Transport pledge from government leaders on fact-finding visit to North West

Chancellor Rachel Reeves outside Number 11 (Credit: Kirsty O'Connor / Treasury)

The Chancellor and Transport Secretary have visited Manchester today (November 7) to see first hand vital transport infrastructure that will receive multibillion-pound backing following last week’s Budget.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh joined forces to discuss how the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and long awaited A57 upgrade will better connect people, communities and businesses across the region.

For rail passengers, the TRU programme will transform the main line from Manchester to York, via Leeds and Huddersfield, into a high performing, reliable, electrified railway with more frequent, faster and greener journeys. 

Journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds will be slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour. Services from Manchester to York will also be cut by 10 minutes.

Rachel Reeves and Louise Haigh welcomed the completion of a major milestone that’s already been delivered on the west of the route, with electric trains running between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.

Once complete, the full 70-mile TRU route will be fully electrified, helping save 87,000 tonnes of carbon each year. 

The Cabinet ministers also heard how the TRU is already supporting thousands of local jobs, with 5,000 people currently working on the project, including more than 300 apprentices.

The Chancellor announced that works on the long awaited A57 Link Road upgrade will start in the coming weeks, giving certainty to road users that the scheme and its benefits will finally start to be delivered. For too long, residents and road users have suffered from slow journey times, congestion and rat-running around surrounding roads which, in turn, has stunted economic growth across the region.

Once this £250m upgrade is complete, the A57 upgrade will be transformational to road users and businesses across the North of England. Journey times between Manchester and Sheffield will drastically decrease and local communities will benefit from not only better connectivity, but also reduced noise and pollution.

The scheme will see the creation of two new links roads and will be integral to growing the region’s economy, making jobs more accessible but also accelerating the delivery of goods.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Investment in our transport infrastructure is vital to delivering our growth mission. Without improvements to our roads and rail we won’t be able to create jobs and boost business, which is why I prioritised projects like the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the long awaited A57 upgrade in the Budget last week.

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“Securing the delivery of these two important schemes brings our key Northern economic centres closer together. This government is ending 14 years of neglect of the North, instead bolstering the region’s immense growth power to benefit the whole country.”

Louise Haigh

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “Reliable, well-connected transport links are crucial to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education and businesses across our towns and cities.

“But for too long, the North’s transport infrastructure has been neglected. That’s why I am delighted the Chancellor’s first Budget secured the delivery of two multibillion-pound projects that will be vital for rail and road journeys across the North of England.”

She added: “I look forward to working on the successful delivery of both schemes that will make a huge difference to people’s everyday journeys – making travelling between these great towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “This major investment in our roads and railways will mean better connections between Greater Manchester and key towns and cities across the Pennines.

“After years of failed promises, it’s a real statement of intent from this new government that will provide quicker, more reliable journeys for millions of people, and help to unlock the enormous potential of the North as an engine for growth.”

Andrew Haines, Network Rail Chief Executive, said: “This vital project will transform connectivity across the North delivering a significant economic boost for the region, and it’s going well. Passengers and communities alike have been hugely supportive and understanding as we work night and day to make our plans a reality.

“Today’s visit provided both the Chancellor and Transport Secretary with an opportunity to see first hand the substantial progress being made by our teams along the 70 miles of Transpennine Route, including the electrification upgrades between Manchester and Stalybridge. We welcome their full support on this major transformation project.”

Alongside guaranteeing the start of works on the A57, last week’s Budget saw further funding committed to transform local road networks providing a £500m cash increase for local highways maintenance to support everyday journeys, and to help local authorities fix up to an additional one million potholes every year.

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