Northern Hub rail work starts

The £600 million programme will boost the northern economy by billions of pounds

The Northern Hub rail upgrades, a £600 million rail investment programme set to create up to 20,000 jobs and boost the northern economy by billions of pounds, began today at Manchester Airport station.

The improvements, which include electrifying existing lines and major upgrades to the network in and around Manchester, will enable up to 700 more trains to run each day and provide space for 44 million passengers in the area a year when completed in 2019.

Chancellor George Osborne, who saw the works get under way, said: “The government’s long term plan is about securing a recovery for all parts of the country ….. Each part of this project, like the first work at Manchester Airport station that I’ve kicked off today, will help us build the infrastructure we need to compete in the global race.

“This investment will ensure growth is not concentrated in any one place by keeping Britain connected and creating thousands of local jobs, delivering a brighter economic future for the whole country.”

Manchester is the third biggest airport in the UK, it saw 20 million passengers travel through it last year. The investment will enable better connections for businesses and travellers to the Airport City Enterprise Zone and encourage even more growth in the area.