Great North Rail Project resulting in space for an additional 40,000 people into Manchester and other northern cities at peak times

In a landmark moment for the industry, all of Manchester's train companies and Network Rail, have come together to launch a ‘single plan’ for Britain’s railway.

The plan, ‘In Partnership for Britain’s Prosperity’, is backed by business and passenger groups, and sets out how Britain’s ‘partnership railway’ of the public and private sectors will secure almost £85bn of extra economic benefits to the country and enable further improvements.

The Great North Rail Project, a team effort to transform train travel in the north of England by Network Rail, Northern, TransPennine Express, Transport for the North and DfT, is a key part of the rail industry’s plan, which also sets out four commitments to build on the railway’s progress of the last 20 years.

These include a commitment to boost local communities through investment including 6,400 extra services across the country. This will mean space for 40,000 extra people in to Manchester and other cities across the north by 2022.

With forecasts by the Centre for Economics and Business Research indicating a 14,400 boost to jobs in Manchester by 2022, the extra capacity will be vital to connecting more people to more employment opportunities.

The four commitments being made by Manchester's, and the nation's rail companies together are: 

• Commitment 1 - Strengthen the railway’s contribution to the economy, keeping running costs in the black, freeing up taxpayers’ money;
• Commitment 2 - Increase customer satisfaction by improving the railway to remain the top-rated major railway in Europe;
• Commitment 3 - Boost local communities through localised decision making and investment;
• Commitment 4 – Create more jobs, increase diversity and provide our employees with rewarding careers.

Securing the economic benefits of the public and private partnership will mean that:
In the next 18 months alone, customers and communities across the country will see a transformation in their railway with more trains, better services and improved stations;
Investment into rail of £50bn will help to deliver 5,700 new carriages on track by 2021 and 6,400 additional services per week.

• Customer journeys will be improved using technology to increase capacity by running trains closer together, to improve information to help passengers during disruption, and to make buying and using tickets quicker and easier;
• Improved services and greater confidence for customers with the introduction of a new Independent Railway Ombudsman, by summer 2018, ruling on unresolved complaints.
• A stronger voice for customers in England and Wales with customer representation on joint supervisory boards, or an equivalent – a partnership between the rail industry and customer groups;
• Our staff in the railway will benefit with 100,000 job opportunities, £1bn investment in our team, the creation of 20,000 new apprenticeships in rail and its supply chain by 2020 and doubling the number of higher level apprenticeships every five years;