Latest Rail News

08.03.16

TfN plans for improving airport rail links ‘crucial to Northern Powerhouse’

Plans to connect major northern cities to Manchester Airport by rail are crucial for building the Northern Powerhouse, the airport has said.

The proposals, laid out in yesterday’s spring report from Transport for the North (TfN), include increased capacity to make it easier to access Manchester Airport from Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle.

587 NPR map

They come following a Transport Select Committee report which said that HS2 needs to include plans to link to airports and rail surface access to airports needs to improve.

Ken O’Toole, managing director at Manchester Airport, said: “We welcome TfN’s spring report, particularly their vision for rail and connecting the six principal city regions with Manchester Airport.

“Manchester Airport plays a vital role in delivering the Northern Powerhouse and is the global entry and exit point for the millions of people who live in the North and who visit the United Kingdom on business and for leisure. By easily connecting the key Northern towns and cities with us, in turn connects them with global markets around the world.

“The North has a wealth of untapped potential and we share the view that integrating Manchester Airport with high speed and improved rail links will deliver substantial economic benefits for not only the region, but also for the entire country."

He added that more than 22 million people and 60% of the UK’s businesses live within two hours of Manchester Airport, and TfN’s infrastructure improvements will be instrumental in enabling the airport to offer an even greater range of global destinations from the UK's third biggest airport.

Suggestions in the report include building more lines or sections of line than currently planned on the Leeds-Manchester and Sheffield-Manchester routes, upgrading existing line between Leeds-Newcastle and Leeds-Hull, and integrating HS2 infrastructure between Manchester, Manchester Airport and Liverpool, which a recent report suggested the city needed to pay for with local business rates.

(Image c. Martin Rickett from PA Archive/ Images)

Comments

H Thompson   08/03/2016 at 10:03

As many flights leave early in the morning, trains must run through the night to the airport

Andrew Gwilt   09/03/2016 at 00:15

That is a good idea to link Manchester Airport with cities (except Manchester & Liverpool) including Leeds, Hull, York, Nottingham, Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Durham, Newcastle, Carlisle, Burnley, Bradford and other places in Northern England to link up with Manchester Airport via rail which would persuade people to travel by train instead of traveling to Manchester Airport via road.

Lutz   15/05/2016 at 17:29

It is pleasing to be able to draw lines on the map and to imagine grand edifices to serve the North, but can the North afford to build and run these initiatives based on projected earnings after they have been built? Does the intent match the ability to deliver?

Add your comment

related

Rail industry Focus

View all News

Comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >

'the sleepers' blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

Interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future r... more >
Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

08/05/2019Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

In answering the pressing questions of how current and future generations of managers can provide solutions to high-profile infrastructure projects across the UK, Pearson Business School, part of... more >