An agreement signed by central government ministers and the Mayor of Greater Manchester has paved the way for a new railway between Manchester and Liverpool as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. But politicians in Hull have protested at the lack of any mention of electrification to their city in the plans for NPR.

The government has agreed to work with Greater Manchester on plans for the Manchester-Liverpool line, which would be a key component of the wider scheme announced by the Chancellor last week to move ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail, along with an initial grant of £1.1 billion to pay for the next stages of development.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander and the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham signed the formal agreement yesterday, which is supported by the Chancellor and the Housing secretary.

Heidi Alexander said: ‘ I’ve strengthened this Government’s clear and unwavering commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail by signing an agreement with Mayor Burnham on the next steps for transforming connectivity in Greater Manchester.

‘With a new line between Manchester and Liverpool at the heart of our plans, alongside new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, we will unlock new opportunities, more jobs and more housing for thousands of people.

‘By providing early clarity on scope and phasing, we are giving Greater Manchester the certainty it needs to plan ahead and unlock the full economic and social benefits for its people.’

Andy Burnham added: ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail will transform how people get around the north’s great towns and cities, providing better, more reliable public transport as well as delivering good jobs and new homes.

‘A new line between Manchester and Liverpool with an underground at Manchester Piccadilly will be the beating heart of a resurgent north of England in the 21st century.

‘This agreement demonstrates the government’s commitment to working with us. Together, we will deliver the best version of this transformational project.’

Apart from the new Liverpool-Manchester railway, which would serve a new low-level station at Warrington Bank Quay and an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly, other projects mentioned by the Chancellor included reopening the Leamside line.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will also be part of the Northern Growth Corridor, which will stretch from Liverpool to Yorkshire, and is intended to encourage the economy in North Wales and other surrounding areas.

A long-term funding cap of £45 billion was also announced by the Chancellor, and instalments of this are set to be included in future Spending Reviews.

However, there are no official proposals to extend the electrified Transpennine Route Upgrade to Hull, although electrification of the line from the East Coast route near Selby has been suggested more than once and was the subject of an unsuccessful petition which was debated in the House of Commons in October 2021. MPs were told then that ‘rail links to Hull are among the poorest in the north of England … the current train service reliability of 60 per cent or lower means it is quicker to travel to Leeds by road’.

The leader of Hull City Council Cllr Mike Ross protested in person to the Department for Transport after last week’s announcement. He said: ‘NPR has been talked about for over a decade, yet Hull is still waiting for any sort of action on the commitment around electrification and when our residents, businesses and communities might see any benefits. Hull deserves to be treated on a par with other cities across the north of England.’

What do you think? Click here to let us know.