Skip to main content

Strategy to connect the UK’s northern cities

Plans to revolutionise travel in the north, including a new TransNorth rail system and new road investments, will today be set out by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and northern city leaders. As part of building a northern powerhouse, the Chancellor established Transport for the North (TfN) to bring together northern transport authorities, and tasked it with working with government to create the first ever comprehensive tr
March 20, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Plans to revolutionise travel in the north, including a new TransNorth rail system and new road investments, will today be set out by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and northern city leaders.

As part of building a northern powerhouse, the Chancellor established Transport for the North (TfN) to bring together northern transport authorities, and tasked it with working with government to create the first ever comprehensive transport strategy for the region, covering roads, rail, freight, airports and smart ticketing. TfN and the government are publishing the first ‘Northern transport strategy’ report today, following 5021 Network Rail work on rail improvement options.

The report sets out a long term strategy to connect up the north, create a single economy and allow northern towns and cities to pool their strengths. Plans set out in the report include: slashing journey times between major northern cities with investment in high speed rail; developing new east-west road connections including a road tunnel under the Peak District; and introducing Oyster-style smart travel cards and simpler fares across the north.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “Connecting up the great cities of the north is at the heart of our plan to build a northern powerhouse. This report has the potential to revolutionise transport in the north and we will work closely with TfN to help make it a reality.

“From backing high speed rail to introducing simpler fares right across the north, our ambitious plans for transport means we will deliver a truly national recovery where every part of the country will share in Britain’s prosperity.”

Commenting on the report, Simon Allport, North West senior partner at EY, said: “Today’s report marks the next step in a multi-modal, integrated Northern transport network, with the potential to connect our soon-to-be smarter cities internally, with each other and with the rest of the UK – helping to make the North a stronger economic force.

“Building on the Northern city’s One North report, the new report importantly signals a clear, phased investment plan to get the North moving and make its transport system smarter through innovations like smart ticketing. It will be interesting to see which of the options for new routes and upgrades are taken forward.

“Following development work by Transport for the North, the focus should be on securing the vital funding and public support for the new projects that require it. All stakeholders – including regional business leaders – should work together to help to shape the future of the Northern transport network.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF takes politicians to task on road safety
    January 7, 2013
    The International Road Federation has issued a wake up call to government ministers, in the form of its Vienna Manifesto on ITS. Four years on from coming to a key decision on ITS, the International Road Federation (IRF) now faces a further question – how can it ensure its Vienna Manifesto on ITS achieves maximum impact? This is a challenge the organisation is not taking lightly. Issues the manifesto has been drawn up to address have become more acute in the time taken to publish it and are forecast to wors
  • TfL and Cubic agree to licence London’s contactless ticketing system for use worldwide
    July 14, 2016
    Transport for London (TfL) has announced its contactless ticketing system is set to be used by other major cities across the globe as part of a deal worth up to US$20 million (£15 million, which will be used to help deliver a fares freeze that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has announced across TfL services for the next four years. TfL signed a deal with Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), allowing them to adapt the capital’s contactless ticketing system worldwide. It is the first of a number of plann
  • Single system simplicity for smarter city transport
    February 23, 2017
    All encompassing, city-wide transport monitoring and control systems are beginning to make their way onto the market, as Colin Sowman hears. The futuristic vision of cities where everything is connected and operated with maximum efficiency by a gigantic computer remains a distant prospect but related sectors and services are beginning to coalesce: transport monitoring and control for instance.
  • Success of London's Olympic public transport systems
    December 4, 2012
    The Olympic flame has moved on, allowing review of the relative degrees of London’s 2012 transportation success, how it was done and with what lasting effects. Jon Masters reports. This magazine’s international position provides a good vantage point for assessing impressions left by London’s 2012 Olympic Games. On the whole, it has been only praise and congratulations heard since the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympics in September. The events looked great and ran smoothly