NPR
Watch what the North of England can do Tim Wood, Director of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) at Transport for the North, on the need for NPR to come to fruition as soon as possible
T
he Government underlined its commitment to rebalance the British economy and level up investment spending in the North as part of November’s Spending Review, with more cash and a new strategy to kickstart the northern renaissance announced. The review revealed a £4bn Levelling Up Fund and an intention to shift spending to the regions of the UK, with investment in the North, Midlands and South West helping to rebalance the UK economy. This comes alongside a restated commitment, in the accompanying National Infrastructure Strategy, to improve connectivity between northern cities. The National Infrastructure Commission’s assessment of rail needs beyond the South of England was published last month, followed by the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the North of England. These two documents will ensure that Northern Powerhouse Rail, Phase 2b of HS2 and other planned rail investments in the North and Midlands are scoped and delivered in an integrated way. This will bring transformational rail improvements more quickly and to more places.
26 | January 2021
railbusinessdaily.com
