08.07.15
Osborne unveils £30m funding for Transport for the North
George Osborne has announced that £30m of funding is to be provided to Transport for the North (TfN), as part of building the government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’.
The funding, which will be provided over three years, has been provided to support TfN’s running costs and to enable the organisation to advance its work programme.
Building on the Northern Transport Strategy that was jointly published by the government and TfN earlier this year, the chancellor said the government was committed to devolving “far reaching” powers over transport to the north’s mayor-led city regions to deliver fully integrated public transport systems, supported by smart and integrated ticketing technology.
Within the chancellor’s Summer Budget 2015 document, it was stated that an interim CEO and executive team for TfN should be appointed by autumn 2015 to accelerate TfN’s work programme. A chair must be appointed by the end of the 2015, with an update on the Northern Transport Strategy to be published by Budget 2016.
The government added that it will work with TfN to advance the introduction of Oyster-style smart and integrated ticketing across bus, tram, metro and rail services throughout the region, “making this one of the top priorities for TfN’s newly accelerated work programme”.
It will also work with TfN to push forward plans to transform east-west rail and road connections via TransNorth and options for a new TransPennine Tunnel, with a “prioritised list of scheme options to be produced by Budget 2016”, and an interim report in time for the Spending Review later in 2015.
Osborne said: “We’ve created Transport for the North – now I’m putting it on a statutory footing and I can announce £30 million of funding to this new body as it connects northern England together, with seamless oyster-style ticketing across the region.”
(Image: c. PA wire)
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