Same but different? Councils and DfT set visions for North’s railways

The DfT/Rail North consultation on the next Northern rail franchise has been criticised for being too negative. So how does it compare to the new long-term rail strategy of the North’s local authorities?

Andrew Forster

11 July 2014

Northern: a Class 158 forms a Carlisle-Leeds service

A vigorous debate is underway about the future of the north of England’s railways. The Chancellor last month called for a high-speed railway between Manchester and Leeds – which he has since dubbed High Speed 3 – as part of his vision for a Northern economic ‘powerhouse’. The faster route would come on top of the ongoing electrification programme of existing routes and the £600m Northern hub project to increase capacity across Manchester. Osborne’s...