TransPennine Route Upgrade: Government increases funding to more than £9bn to create a 'gold standard' rail network

The increase in funding, from £2.9bn to more than £9bn, is set to strengthen TRU and Northern Powerhouse Rail, with the aim of transforming an already ambitious project to a "gold standard" and delivering on the Government’s priority of levelling up the country.

The full route will be fitted with the latest technology, from complete electrification and full digital signalling, to increased capacity along the route for passenger and freight services between Huddersfield and Westtown in Dewsbury, doubling tracks from two to four.

A further £959m of funding has been released to progress the next phase of TRU between Manchester and York. The almost £1bn will be spent on the remaining electrification of the railway between Stalybridge and Manchester and unlocking shorter journey times and trans-Pennine rail freight flows with electric trains between Manchester and Stalybridge, expected to hit the tracks around the middle of the decade.

Funding will also facilitate Northern Powerhouse Rail, potentially doubling the amount of direct construction jobs from 2,000 to up to 4,000, taking thousands of lorries off the roads and delivering better journeys sooner for passengers across the North.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Through our record-breaking Integrated Rail Plan, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to redesign the railways and it’s only right that we deliver this in line with the best quality technology at our disposal.

“By trebling the overall investment in the TRU, I’m ensuring the North is at the forefront of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and guaranteeing passengers gold standard services set to deliver greener, faster and reliable services through Northern Powerhouse Rail, electrification and additional train tracks.”

Once complete, the TRU is expected to deliver multiple benefits, delivering an extra two passenger trains every hour and additional hourly freight slots.

Upgrades are expected to service more reliable journeys and slash journey times by up to 40 per cent.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will be fully electrified, improving the local environment and air quality across the North.

The TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU), announced in November as part of the Integrated Rail Plan, will be hitting the tracks from 2025 - boosting economic growth and creating local skilled jobs.