The Government has pledged £3.9 billion for a rail project which will improve connectivity in northern England.
The cash injection will accelerate the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York which will bring faster and more reliable journeys.
Passengers will benefit from a fully-electrified line, accessible stations and more frequent services.
Responding to the announcement, Darren Oldham, Transport for the North’s Director of Rail and Road said: “This is a major milestone for the TRU project as it upgrades a key rail corridor across the North, bringing improvements for passengers and extra capacity for freight.
“Transport for the North has been working with partners for some years to bring forward these benefits, which will lay the foundations for further transformational development from Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
“We fully welcome the investment in this corridor as it will improve journey times, reliability, capability and capacity between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds.
“It will also reduce the pressure on the road network, particularly the M62 between West Yorkshire and Manchester.”