Government’s £96 billion plan to level up railways across the North West

The Conservative Government’s £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands will deliver better transport links and spread prosperity and opportunity decades sooner than previously planned.

The plan will transform high speed rail capabilities across the North West.

A new high-speed line will be built between Warrington, Manchester and Yorkshire, forming the heart of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), combined with upgrades on existing lines to deliver NPR services from Liverpool to Leeds via Manchester. These upgrades mean that journeys from Manchester to Leeds will be possible in around half an hour—a third quicker than current journey times.

The number of trains running from Liverpool to Manchester Piccadilly—the busiest route in the North—will be doubled, with journey times cut by a third to just 15 minutes. And the number of trains running from Liverpool to Manchester Airport will be quadrupled—cutting journey times by two-thirds, from over an hour to just 26 minutes.

Other announcements in the plan include fully electrifying and upgrading the Transpennine Main Line, going well beyond previous plans, and improving journeys between Manchester and Leeds—even before the new high-speed Northern Powerhouse Rail line opens.

The Warrington Bank Quay low level station will also be reinstated, enabling regeneration plans in Warrington.

Commenting, Edward Timpson CBE, MP for Eddisbury, said:

“I was elected on a pledge to level up and create better transport connections for communities in Eddisbury now—we cannot afford to stick to outdated plans and wait decades to deliver the change needed.

“This plan delivers the single biggest investment in the history of our rail network: £96 billion for the North and Midlands—which will improve everyday journeys for rail passengers, bring communities across the North West closer together, and create jobs—all ten to fifteen years sooner than previously planned.

“Levelling up cannot wait—this plan delivers on the promise I made to people in Eddisbury now; with more punctual, frequent, and reliable journeys for people wherever they live. 

“We hope this will be augmented by the reopening of Beeston Castle & Tarporley Station in the not-too-distant future, increasing access to all of these benefits for Eddisbury residents further.”

The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, said:

“My mission is to level up opportunity across our country, which is why we’re making train journeys faster and more reliable through the biggest ever public investment in our rail network.

“This is because better rail connections are essential for growing local economies and businesses, and our Integrated Rail Plan will deliver better services to more people, more quickly.

“Levelling up has to be for everyone, not just the biggest cities. That’s why we will transform transport links between our biggest cities and smaller towns, ensuring we improve both long-distance and vital local services and enabling people to move more freely across the country wherever they are.”

Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, said:

“Our plan is ambitious, deliverable and backed by the largest single government investment ever made in our rail network. It will deliver punctual, frequent and reliable journeys for everyone, wherever they live. 

“Just as the Victorians gave this country our railways nearly 200 years ago, this Integrated Rail Plan will create a modern, expanded railway fit for today and future generations. Significant improvements will be delivered rapidly, bringing communities closer together, creating jobs and making places more attractive to business, and in doing so, rebalancing opportunity across the country.”