Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Core Northern Powerhouse Rail: Public Funding

Tuesday 20 December 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The integrated rail plan estimates 17.2 billion at 2019 prices for the core Northern Powerhouse Rail network.
  • The plan includes a further 5.4 billion for the TransPennine route upgrade.
  • The Chancellor is committed to long-term economic benefits from capital investment schemes like NPR.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Transport
Context

The MP is concerned about the level of public funding required to build the core Northern Powerhouse Rail network, which was estimated at £17.2 billion in 2019 prices.

Question

What recent estimate has been made with Cabinet colleagues regarding the level of public funding needed for building the core Northern Powerhouse Rail network?

Answer from James Cartlidge

The integrated rail plan, published last November, set out an estimate of £17.2 billion at 2019 prices for the core Northern Powerhouse Rail network, with a further £5.4 billion for the TransPennine route upgrade. This includes building 40 miles of new high-speed line between Warrington, Manchester and Yorkshire, as well as upgrading and electrifying the rest of the route between Liverpool and York, and the existing line between Leeds and Bradford.

Answered
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Q2 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Economy Transport
Context

The MP is concerned about the downgrading of Northern Powerhouse Rail from a £40 billion vision to a reduced £17 billion core scheme, which could miss long-term transformative benefits.

Question

I am grateful for the response. The Chancellor has rightly spoken about capital investment but has downgraded NPR from a £40 billion vision to a £17 billion core scheme. Will the Minister look at refocusing Treasury appraisal on its long-term transformative benefits and whole-life value, rather than short-term factors?

Answer from James Cartlidge

I commend the hon. Gentleman's passion. The Chancellor is committed to long-term economic benefit from capital investment and infrastructure schemes like NPR. Our plans deliver substantial journey-time savings and capacity improvements along Liverpool to York, cost-effectively compared to alternatives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific request for refocusing Treasury appraisal on long-term benefits.

How: I Commend, He Speaks With Passion

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