Our Chief Executive, Martin Tugwell, looks back over the past 12 months and at the work we have done with partners, stakeholders and communities to transform the North.
It has been another busy year at Transport for the North. With thanks to all of you who shared your views and feedback on our revised Strategic Transport Plan, which we shared for consultation over the summer.
We had a great response from hundreds of individuals and organisations, with lots of support for our vision to transform the North of England. We are using your feedback to finalise the plan, ready to be presented to our Board in March.
After the Government’s announcement about HS2 and publication of its Network North document in October, we’ve been working with our members, partners and government to understand the implications and determine the next steps, especially on how they dovetail with the Board’s long-standing position on Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
NPR ‘in full’ remains central to the North’s ambitions for transforming our transport system in order to realise its full economic potential, decarbonise and open up more opportunities for all. As co-sponsor of NPR, with the Department for Transport, we continue to work closely to secure our long-term ambitions.
Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review (NPIER), published this year, showed how extensive the economic prize is for our region if we align infrastructure investment with the right policy levers to support growth, such as skills and innovation.
We must work together to close the productivity gap between the North and the South. Equally, our Connecting Communities strategy, shared in May, demonstrated how we can reduce social exclusion through improved transport choices for communities – and we were delighted it was recognised by the CIHT as leading research in this field.
When you add in our Connected Mobility strategy – which encapsulated the ambitions from integrated payment methods and multi-modal ticketing schemes to deliver seamless journeys for passengers – the opportunities for the North are undeniable.
By working together, aligning policies and investment, we can transform the North.
And we hope many of you will be able to join us at our Annual Conference in Liverpool on 5 February to build on our progress over 2023 and set the agenda for the year ahead.
Until then, may we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!