This year, we have announced our continued focus on supporting projects that will help to connect the North. The ultimate aim is to make transport for all easier and readily accessible and we’ll do that by focusing on several key areas where transport connectivity can be improved.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at the work planned to improve connectivity from the Southern Pennines to major Northern cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.
The development of this Strategic Development Corridor will play a key role in informing Highway England’s upcoming five-year programme. This is known as Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS 2) and unlike the name suggests, it not only incorporates plans for road investment but also plans to investigate TransPennine rail and inland waterways requirements. This will include looking at the logistics required to support ports, airports and inland ports across the corridor.
Simply put, improving connections between Southern Pennines and major Northern cities will ultimately help attract significant investment to the North, leading to economic growth and the creation of more jobs and opportunities.
The case for further development and investments to improve this corridors east to west connectivity cannot be understated. With so many major economic and population centres directly affected including Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Hull, plus four major ports and four airports.
Work is already underway to connect the Southern Pennines and Northern cities, with a long-term programme developed to focus on projects to land by 2025, between 2025 and 2035 and post 2035.
In particular, there are major rail works planned, such as upgrades to the main TransPennine rail line connecting Manchester to Leeds and York. Not only will this help provide greater connections between the cities, but it will also provide higher quality design solutions, which will have potential environmental and whole life cost benefits.
Planned works include upgrading historical road routes within the corridor and improving freight and passenger capabilities to reduce journey times. As well as the introduction of more electric-powered vehicles as a top priority, ensuring upgrades within the corridor fall in line with the Government’s carbon-neutral 2050 strategy.
Lancashire County Council recognises the potential when it comes to connecting the Southern Pennines to key Northern cities. Housing the largest aerospace cluster in the UK, the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone, part of the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster, the county is reliant on the strong growth and development of the Southern Pennines SDC.
However, in line with the carbon-neutral strategy, upgrades are necessary if the emissions reduction targets are to be met.
Transport planners in the county are aware that road links tend to follow historic routes which are “dictated by topography rather than travel demand”. These roads are poorly aligned and are unsuitable for heavy vehicles and large volumes of road traffic.
Due to this, it’s problematic when it comes to encouraging agglomeration between economies as journey times are unreliable in terms of manufacturing and efficient movement of freight. Travel times and service frequency are huge deterrents for business trips and commuters in the area.
The development of The TransPennine Tunnel (TPT) linking Sheffield and Manchester would see a dramatic improvement in travel times, creating an easy pass through some of the highest and most difficult terrains in the region, reducing the journey time between the M1 and M60 to 30 minutes.
While the scheme is still in the early stages of development, Highways England said the TPT will cost between £8bn and £12bn to complete. However, it is essential to improving the links between Manchester and Sheffield, as currently, traffic uses the A628 Woodhead pass, which often closes in winter due to the hazardous conditions. The TPT would also increase the existing vehicle usage on the A628 to around 35,000 vehicles.
Senior Transport Programme Manager at Sheffield City Region voiced support for the development of the TPT, commenting: “Doing nothing is an alternative option but not one supported by the Peak District National Park and road links between two key regions would remain poor, adversely impacting a collection of things and constraining the Northern Powerhouse economy.”
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is working with us to develop the case for continued investment in the existing rail network.
This includes upgrades to the East Coast Mainline to improve connectivity and the Calder Valley Line, which will have pan-northern benefits. In the last 10 years, train travel has increased by 96% across West Yorkshire – and it is, therefore, crucial that the Government prioritises upgrades to the existing TransPennine rail line – between Manchester, Leeds and York, via Huddersfield, to improve journey times by 2022.
In terms of road development in the region, it is essential investments are made in order to reduce congestion and traffic away from the crowded town and City Centres across the county.