HS2

‘Entirely new approach’ to transport as TfN submits statutory body plan

Transport for the North (TfN) is formally seeking permission from the DfT to become the first sub-national transport authority in England.

If transport secretary Chris Grayling approves the proposals, submitted on 20 October, they will then need to go through Parliament to grant devolved powers to TfN.

Its chief executive, David Brown, said that better transport connections for the north could add £97bn to the region’s economy and create 850,000 jobs by 2050.

“This is a significant moment for the north, and for the wider UK, as work continues to develop the transport systems and infrastructure we need to rebalance the economy,” he said.

“Working with our Northern Partners, the Department for Transport, and the national operators, our mission is to kick-start transformational change by building on the foundations of an evidence-driven Northern Transport Investment Plan.

“It’s an entirely new approach to developing transport infrastructure in the north, and while it will bring with it challenges, the results are aimed directly at closing the productivity gap between the north and the rest of the UK. It is ambitious, but it needs to be if the north is to be truly competitive on the world-stage.”

In its Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review, TfN said that transport links between northern cities would need to be integrated with local transport networks to deliver economic benefits. But the West Yorkshire Combined Authority warned that devolution to TfN should not take away powers from local transport authorities.

David Hoggarth, the director of Rail North, has also said that his organisation has agreed principles for a merger with TfN, revealing further details of this process in an article written with Brown for the latest edition of RTM (October/November).

Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.