Since 2014, successive governments have acknowledged the limitations of rail infrastructure in the North of England. Several large cities - including Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield - are poorly served by transport connections. The Northern Powerhouse Rail programme is intended to improve connectivity between major cities in the North of England and promote economic growth through increased productivity. The programme will be delivered in three phases, the first of which will see the construction on new rail lines and upgrades to existing lines in the Northeast of England and is expected to be completed in the 2030’s.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has previously reported on the impacts of the cancellation of the Northern leg of HS2 and the Department for Transport’s (DfT) management of the Crossrail programme. In both instances, the PAC raised concerns about the spiralling costs of the projects meaning they were unlikely to provide value for money, and has raised concerns over how DfT has failed to learn lessons from the past.
According to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the DfT will have spent £410mn on the programme by March 2026, with a funding cap of £45 billion for spend from 2026-27. The NAO warned that further work is needed to ensure that the programme aligns with growth plans, which will require effective cross-government working at national and local levels. Proceeding from the NAO’s report, the Committee will take evidence from witnesses including senior DfT officials on subjects including key challenges within the programme, and what progress has been made on it since 2014.
The call for written evidence has now closed.
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