It was revealed in late December that – according to reports in the Financial Times – the government will release initial outline proposals for Northern Powerhouse Railway (NPR) in early 2026.
It is expected that ministers will “set out high-level details” near the start of 2026, according to people familiar with these policy discussions.
For over ten years the plan for a new high-speed railway connecting the cities in the North of England has been promised, but after years of inaction from successive governments in London, hopes had begun to fade. Over the course of the last six months the present government has suggested it would restart the plans but, as of yet, no concrete details have been provided and instead the government have repeatedly insisted that plans are “coming soon”.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander had announced, back in November, that the Department for Transport was working to get the balance of investment right on both sides of the Pennines before any announcement is made.
The Northern Growth Corridor/Northern Arc
It has been stated that “the Northern Arc is a series of economic areas stretching from the North West across the Pennines and connecting into West and South Yorkshire, Hull and the Humber, North Yorkshire and the North East, and into North Wales and beyond”. It is sometimes referred to as the Northern Growth Corridor.
As for the North West, this region’s section includes the Liverpool City Region, Warrington, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester. This area is home to 5.4 million people, with two Investment Zones, and an annual economic output of £150 billion.
It is vitally important that there is growth in the Northern Arc across the North of England and beyond, developing a growth corridor with close trading links between Lancashire and North Wales, across to Hull and the North East. With connections through two international airports and the UK’s largest Atlantic-facing port, plus important links via North Wales to Ireland, the region is well positioned for global trade.
It is also noted: “Realising the huge potential of the Northern Arc requires a world class transport network, unlocked by a new Liverpool-Manchester rail route and enabling the full potential of existing, under-performing assets”.
In this context, it has also been recognised that there was a commitment to “the Northern Growth Corridor including Northern Powerhouse Rail” from Rachel Reeves in the late November budget. Indeed, civil servant and former Leeds City Council CEO Tom Riordan has been appointed as “envoy” for the Northern Growth Corridor.
The Financial Times were also reported as saying Riordan’s appointment had “accelerated” talks between regional and local leaders, and the central government. The result of this is said to be a “basic scheme that will feature ‘quicker wins’ such as electrification around Leeds potentially to be progressed first’”.
Mayors call for Northern Powerhouse Rail to be built in full
The news about these initial proposals for powerhouse rail being delivered in early 2026 came about a month after it was reported that the eleven mayors of regions and cities in the North of England had written to chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the budget, calling for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) to be built in full.
The group were said to be urging Reeves to unlock further economic opportunities and growth by increasing investment in rail for the North.
In order for this to be achieved, the mayors called for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) to be delivered in full, including a “new line from Liverpool to Manchester, which would run from Liverpool Lime Street via Liverpool Gateway, Warrington and Manchester Airport to an underground through station at Manchester Piccadilly”.
The mayors wrote under the name the ‘Great North’, calling for a new station in central Bradford, and for a new line to continue to Huddersfield and Leeds. In the plan there was also a call for the electrification of the Leeds-Sheffield line.
The letter states: “The Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review recognised that realising the untapped potential of the North requires a transformation in infrastructure that delivers faster, more reliable rail journeys.
“It also needs increased capacity to improve resilience and meet growing passenger, business, and freight demand. NPR, delivered in full, is key to realising this potential, complementing other rail investment.”
Other parts of plan for the NPR system are said to include unblocking the East Coast Main Line north of Northallerton by reopening the Leamside Line and adding meaningful upgrades to the Hope Valley line This is intended to ensure effective services through to the North East, Sheffield, Hull and the North East. The mayors also called for the delivery of electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield along with previously committed improvements north of York.
Consequently, it is argued that “the full upgraded NPR network will lead to better connectivity for Chester, Crewe, Lancashire, Cumbria and the Tees Valley, and create more capacity for freight and local passenger services”.
Unlocking the North’s potential
This matter affects millions of people across the North, from Merseyside through Warrington and Greater Manchester, to West and South Yorkshire, and even to Hull to the east and Newcastle to the north. Considering that it has been calculated that the North lost out to the tune of £140 billion in transport spending during the 2010s compared to London and the South East, it really is time the transport links outlined in the plans were finally made reality.
The North has great potential, showing time and time again that it can achieve great things given a fair chance. With so many of the more deprived neighbourhoods found in the North, it is also imperative that a real levelling-up takes place, and these transport improvements can play a major part in allowing people to spread their net further when looking for work or places at college when young. While the more Southern-oriented Reform 2025 UK Ltd have publicly said that they would scrap high-speed rail in the North, these schemes are a vital investment in the North and its people, which can help to unlock the potential of the North. Let’s see what happens when the details are announced and hope that the North will be treated fairly at last.
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