A group of railway engineers have designed a fully electrified rail network in Northern England, which they say meets Transport for the North’s specifications between Northern cities and towns.
Network North features a new high-speed rail spine between Liverpool/Manchester/Leeds and Sheffield, plus a stand-alone freight route linking West and East coast ports.
Network North believes that its design must be considered by Transport for the North and Northern leaders as the preferred solution for transforming the economy of the North.
Launching the scheme, civil engineering Principal Colin Elliff, said: “Our route is a scaled design with detailed station proposals. We have calculated the timings and compiled a demonstrator timetable showing that a step-change in connectivity across the North will be achieved.”
Systems Engineering Principal Quentin Macdonald added: “The scheme is fully costed and is ready to proceed to the detailed design needed for construction.”
In a news release, Network North says the design differs from other current options as follows:
- Network North does not require any part of HS2 to be built and can be completed well before 2040, when HS2 is due to complete in the North
- Network North provides anew “through” station under Manchester Piccadilly and a new cross-city link, in Bradford with a new station. Sheffield has a new ‘all lines’ hub station and new terminus platforms are not required at Leeds
- Network North provides a high-speed link between Manchester and Sheffield (22 min.) without using the very constrained Hope Valley route
- The high-speed spine offers a specific package that could make it attractive to private finance
- Freight needs are met with a coast to coast stand-alone freight route including a Roll-on/Roll-off lorry shuttle across the Pennines linking the M1 and the M60
- Network North includes a specific design for improving the connectivity of Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough to the rest of Northern England
- Removing the need to build HS2 is conservatively estimated to save £21billion
In response, Tim Wood, Northern Powerhouse Rail Director, said: “TfN is in talks with Northern leaders and with the Government over our well-developed plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which will transform the economic prospects for the North of England and help to level up the economy of the country. NPR has the support of all the leaders of the North and will formally submit its Strategic Outline Case to Government next spring.”
Photo credit: Network North
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