Oyster card for the North on the way

AS part of his commitment to strengthen transport infrastructure for the Northern Powerhouse the Chancellor has committed to strengthening Transport for the North (TfN).

It is establishing TfN as a statutory body with statutory duties, underpinned by £30m of additional funding over three years.

In addition, it will appoint an interim chief executive and executive team by the autumn and a chair by the end of the year in order to accelerate TfN’s work programme.

The government will work with TfN to advance the introduction of an Oyster-style smartcard and integrated ticketing across bus, tram, metro and rail services throughout the region.

It will also help TfN push forward plans to transform east-west rail and road connections via TransNorth and options for a new TransPennine Tunnel, with a prioritised list of scheme options to be produced by Budget 2016, and an interim report in time for the Spending Review later this year.

As part of its transport masterplan, the government is also examining the case for renaming the A1(M) North of Leeds as the M1 and will pump £5.8m into the A666 Highways Maintenance Scheme in Bolton.

Ahead of the Budget, at Prime Minister’s Questions  David Cameron was pressed by North West Labour MPs Jonathan Reynolds and Jeff Smith on the halt in the project to electrify the Trans-Pennine rail line, described by critics as “the northern power cut” and caused by oversepnding and inefficiencies at Netword Rail.

Mr Cameron said: “This is a pause, not a stop. We are committed to making sure it goes ahead, and we want to get rid of Pacer trains.”