Transport for the North Chairman John Cridland has provided the foreword our Business Plan 2021/22 – outlining our aims and objectives for the year ahead.
The last year has presented unprecedented challenges few could have predicted.
The North’s people and businesses have been rocked by the effects of the global pandemic and our transport network has formed part of an altogether different landscape due to prolonged restrictions.
Trains, once crowded and congested, fell quiet as they carried only key workers, with a strong focus on safety for passengers and train staff alike. The importance of freight movement across the North came to the fore, and focus on walking and cycling infrastructure heightened as people explored different ways to stay local and active.
Throughout the last year, we’ve stayed on track to deliver on the priorities of the North’s civic and business leaders. A pragmatic partner to Government, we’ve spoken with one voice on a wide range of issues affecting our communities today and tomorrow.
From ensuring rail services responded and the wheels kept turning for those who needed them; to making strong, evidence-based cases for investment in our infrastructure, we have continued to deliver for the North’s 15 million people.
Transport for the North’s shared vision remains as resolute and relevant as ever as the nation looks to recovery.
There has been excellent progress this year, with committed investment in some of our priorities and TfN being on the front foot of putting forward schemes that could be accelerated as part of our Economic Recovery Plan.
We now have the opportunity to reset and recover.
This Business Plan details how delivering on our 30-year blueprint for investment in our infrastructure will be central to the national mission to level-up the UK and build back better than what has come before.
We’re buoyed by the Government’s commitments to levelling up. For us, that means securing investment in transformational schemes that will deliver more opportunities and better quality of life for our communities.
In the year ahead, that will include not only providing the evidence for projects that deliver an economic boost, but highlighting the many ways that they can deliver social change; drive decarbonisation at pace; and make our transport networks inclusive and accessible.
That must include a better rail network for the North, with Northern Powerhouse Rail at the heart of a long-term, committed infrastructure pipeline.
Our work this year will include further development of the network following the Integrated Rail Plan to ensure both commitment and progression to construction as soon as possible.
We’ll also ensure the running of our railway is shaped by local knowledge and decisions, whilst providing the innovative analysis and technical evidence that made a compelling case for the Government to invest in our networks.
The result must be incremental and sustained changes that make our networks greener on the path to net zero.
We’ve made excellent progress to date. However there is much more still to be done.
Our solid partnership and dedicated team will continue to deliver on our shared mission of a thriving North brimming with opportunities.
We remain steadfast in our vision that better connectivity is essential to supporting our people, businesses and economy.