King's Speech 2026: Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill

Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill

“Legislation will be introduced to…deliver a fair deal for the North of England through
Northern Powerhouse Rail”

● The Bill (formally titled the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill) is
foundational to Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), unlocking the delivery of rail
capacity into Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport so that people can
benefit from better transport links across the region.

● NPR will deliver faster, more reliable and more frequent services between the
North of England’s key cities. This enhanced transport network will lead to more
housing, improve access to jobs, make it easier for people to travel between
towns and cities across the North and provide opportunities for businesses to
expand.

What does the Bill do?

● The Government is investing up to £45 billion (2025 prices) to deliver
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) turn-up-and-go railway services between
Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with regular
services onward to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, Hull, and Chester
for North Wales connections.

● This will transform intercity rail in the North, make travel more
convenient for people across the region and drive economic growth.
NPR will also support thousands of new homes and commercial
developments in places like Leeds South Bank, Bradford’s Southern Gateway,
York Central, Manchester city centre and around Manchester Airport.

● NPR will be delivered in three phases:

○ The first phase will include upgrades to lines east of the Pennines
for delivery in the 2030s, focusing on electrification and upgrades in
the Leeds-Bradford, Leeds-Sheffield and Leeds-York corridors,
including the stations.

○ In the second phase, the Government will take forward a new
route between Liverpool and Manchester via Warrington and
Manchester Airport. The adapted High Speed Rail (Crewe -
Manchester) Bill will provide the necessary powers to construct and

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 operate the connection into Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester
Airport.

○ In the third phase, the Government will deliver better
cross-Pennine links over and above the Transpennine Route
Upgrade already underway.

● The Bill will outline the proposed route from Manchester to Millington, via
Manchester Airport, and will provide the necessary powers to take forward
delivery when the design has been completed. By adapting the High Speed
Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill, the Government is making use of the
significant progress already made.

Territorial extent and application

● The Bill will extend to the whole of the UK but most of the provisions will apply
in England only.

Key facts

● In 2023, the productivity of northern England was 10 per cent lower than
the UK average and 25 per cent lower than London and the South East.
This pattern is particularly apparent in the largest northern cities and their
surrounding regions.

● The largest northern Mayoral Strategic Authorities have recently seen
their productivity grow 2.2 per cent per year, which is higher than the UK
average productivity growth rate of 0.7 per cent. However, despite this growth,
average productivity in these areas is still 11 per cent lower than the UK
average.

● Growing the productivity of the five most populous northern Mayoral
Strategic Authority areas to the national average could add around £40
billion per year in Gross Value Added, alongside around £15 billion per
year in fiscal revenues.

● Northern city centres are far less accessible within reasonable
commuting times compared to international comparators, and have
lower residential population densities, meaning there is a smaller pool of
workers for firms to access and fewer job opportunities available to workers.
Only 38 per cent of residents can access the city centre of Leeds within 30
minutes by public transport compared to 87 per cent in Marseille, a similar
sized city.

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● Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said “Finally, we have a
Government with an ambitious vision for the North, firm commitment to
Northern Powerhouse Rail and an openness to an underground station in
Manchester city centre. A modernised Manchester Piccadilly could become
the King’s Cross of the North, acting as a catalyst for major growth in our city
region and beyond. Over the past decade, we have become the UK’s fastest
growing city region, but underinvestment in rail infrastructure has long acted
as a brake on further growth. Today marks a significant step forward for
Greater Manchester.”

● The Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Airport Group, Ken O’Toole,
said that: “By placing Manchester Airport at the heart of a full Northern
Powerhouse Rail Network, people and businesses across the region will have
the direct access they deserve to the world. That will help high-value
industries to thrive and attract investors and visitors to all parts of the North -
maximising the region’s contribution to national growth.”

● The Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri
Murison, said “Northern Powerhouse Rail will enable a single labour market
more like that of London and the South East so a young person in Bradford
could aspire to work in Sheffield or Manchester, or a business there attract
talent from further afield than they can today. The potential of the North will be
unlocked, giving us better paid jobs and new homes. The need for improved
global connectivity across the North is huge, and this will be achieved by
connecting Manchester Airport directly to Liverpool and across to cities like
Leeds.”

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