Grayling: £3bn trans-Pennine 2019 start, but cost review for Crossrail 2
5 March, 2018 By Jess Clark
Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said he expects the £3bn trans-Pennine rail route upgrade to start in spring 2019, however he has also set up an independent review to investigate the affordability of Crossrail 2.
Although Network Rail is already working on the rail route between Manchester, Leeds and York, Grayling said he wants to see the £3bn investment earmarked for the upgrade start as soon as possible.
Speaking at the Transport for the Northern Powerhouse conference on Friday, Grayling said: “I want to realise passenger benefits from the £3 billion we have ring-fenced for the Pennine route as fast as possible.
“Network Rail has already begun detailed designs, and provided us with options for the trans-Pennine Route Upgrade to meet the objectives we’ve set out - for journey times, capacity and reliability.
“That – in turn – has given us an opportunity to undertake the work in phases starting as soon as spring next year.
“This is not just about meeting rising demand for train travel. It’s about transforming journeys too.”
Meanwhile, the Crossrail 2 review - a rail route proposed from south to north London and surrounding counties - will be carried out by the Department for Transport and Transport for London and is expected to conclude this summer. It will be chaired by former Tideway managing director Mike Gerrard. Gerrard said: “Major projects work best when independent reviews, drawing on a wealth of experience, help move them from plans to spades in the ground. I am delighted to chair this crucial review and I look forward to working with the Department for Transport and Transport for London to ensure that Crossrail 2 is the best project it can be.”
In response, Northern Powerhouse Partnership director Henri Murison has said said the trans-Pennine upgrade must go further to pave the way for better east to west connectivity.
Murison welcomed Grayling’s announcement but said the government should start building the upgraded link to High Speed 2 south from York.
Murison said: “The ring fencing of £3bn for the Pennine route is to be welcomed, with huge opportunities along the line.
“We will be asking the Secretary of State to also go further and start building the upgraded link to HS2 south from York to allow these upgrades in coming years to deliver the final Northern Powerhouse Rail requirements between York and Leeds.
“This will avoid returning to this vital piece of infrastructure a decade later - which every passenger from the North East heading to Leeds as well as Manchester relies on - and is a way to deliver key east to west network improvements sooner, at a reduced final cost.
“Northern Powerhouse Rail is vital for the economic performance of the whole country. The Pennine upgrades today will keep the Northern Powerhouse moving towards higher productivity until the new line from Leeds and Bradford City Centre to Manchester is finished, which should be delivered at or before HS2 is completed.
“That would mean a child born in the North last year will turn 16 and should have every college – from nuclear in West Cumbria to High Speed Rail in Doncaster – in their reach.”
Bam Nuttall, Amey and Arup are working in alliance with Network Rail on the upgrade of the trans-Pennine route, west of Leeds. A contract for rail enhancements on the East of Leeds part of the trans-Pennine route between York and Leeds has been awarded to an alliance between Network Rail, VolkerRail, Murphy and Siemens.
Northern Powerhouse Rail plans received a boost last month after improvement works on the Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield were given the go-ahead. Transport for the North chief executive Barry White said the construction of passing loops on the line would “form part of the first early building blocks” of the rail project.