Northerners sign open letter demanding Northern Powerhouse Rail in full

High-profile business leaders from the North West, Yorkshire, and the North East have written to the Prime Minister urging him to pull the trigger on the elusive east-to-west rail project, which is claimed could boost GVA in the North by £14.4bn by 2060.

“Northern Powerhouse Rail, from Liverpool through Manchester Airport and Manchester across to Bradford then Leeds as well as to Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull is the answer,” the letter states.

Signed by pan-Northern chief executives including Bruntwood’s Chris Oglesby and Morrisons’ Rami Baitiéh, the letter is designed to put pressure on the government to commit to the project, which was first unveiled by then-chancellor George Osborne in 2014.

Read the letter in full and see a complete list of signatories at the foot of the article 

A comment made by current chancellor Rachel Reeves at the spending review sparked hope that Labour might bring the project to life. However, her promise to update the nation on the project “in the coming weeks” has not materialised.

Many had expected an announcement at last month’s Labour Party conference but none was made.

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “It is welcome that the chancellor and transport secretary remain publicly committed to investing in better connectivity across the Pennines. Furthermore, there is no more committed supporter of the long-term opportunity of the North to contribute more to growth of the UK than the Prime Minister himself.

“The business community is committed to a way forward that matches the available resources to a prioritised plan. We will continue to work constructively to get a solution that whether it be in Bradford, Liverpool or Sheffield ensures they benefit from improvements and new lines where necessary to maximise the benefits and further to the existing investment going on electrification and upgrades between Manchester, Leeds and beyond towards the North East.”

Dear Prime Minister,

The industrialists and business leaders in the North have for many years made the case that we need to better connect the northern city regions to each other and to the world.

“Northern Powerhouse Rail, from Liverpool through Manchester Airport and Manchester across to Bradford then Leeds as well as to Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull is the answer. Both investors and employers know it is essential to achieve our potential to increase the frequency and reliability of rail services between these places and reduce journey times as well as unlock more capacity for freight.

This investment would put 3.8 million more northerners within 90 minutes of four or more northern cities. More people able to travel for work and leisure to more places.

It would more than double the number of people able to access Manchester Airport within 90 minutes. Whilst London needs new runways, we need the rail line to reach the ones we already have.

Productivity in the North continues to lag behind the South – as the UK’s overall productivity lags behind that of similar countries overseas. Northern Powerhouse Rail would help close these gaps by dramatically raising our productivity, adding £14.4bn more GVA annually by 2060.

We know your government understands the importance of delivering in full on the Chancellor’s commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail made at the spending review. We will work with you as you consider seriously the case for both investment in the infrastructure and the wider growth corridor it will enable.

Northern Powerhouse Rail can and will be radically different to HS2 – bottom-up and working with local government and business leaders, harnessing private investment where possible, driving costs down through innovative delivery models and technologies, and focused on regeneration, housing and growth outcomes first and foremost.

The UK used to be global leaders in delivering infrastructure to power economic transformation. We must get back to this position.

Full list of signatories