The Chancellor and Transport Secretary have announced plans for two major projects in the North of England. The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and the A57 upgrade aim to improve road and rail links across the region. The announcement follows the allocation of funds for these projects in the budget last month.
The TRU will transform the main railway line from Manchester to York, via Leeds and Huddersfield, into a "high-performing, reliable, electrified railway". This will result in "more frequent, faster, and greener journeys". The upgrade will reduce travel times between Manchester and Leeds from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six services every hour.
The journey from Manchester to York will also be cut by 10 minutes. Electric trains are already running between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. Once completed, the full 70-mile TRU route will be fully electrified, saving 87,000 tonnes of carbon each year.
The project is currently employing 5,000 people, including over 300 apprentices, providing a boost to local employment . The Chancellor also announced that work on the "long-awaited" £250m A57 Link Road upgrade will begin in the coming weeks. This project will create two new link roads and is expected to "drastically decrease" journey times between Manchester and Sheffield.
The upgrade will also "reduce noise and pollution", aiming to improve the quality of life for local communities. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: "Investment in our transport infrastruct.
