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Transport for the North (TfN) chief executive Barry White has stated that the delay in submitting the business plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) will not necessarily affect the construction of the project. At a recent meeting, the Transport for the North board decided to wait until after the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) to submit its strategic outline case (SOC) as requested by the transport secretary Grant Shapps.
Grant Shapps commented on the delay; “The only practical way forward is to agree to a rephasing of the SOC, It won’t necessarily delay the construction process – in some cases, it could allow quicker progress – it really depends on what the IRP says.”
The delay will provide a greater understanding of the government's plans for HS2 and how it might integrate with the Northern Powerhouse Rail, and it could allow for quicker progress in some cases. However, the timing of the delayed strategic outline case would be dependent on the content and timing of the integrated rail plan, and the potential effect on the economic analysis required.
Timelines for delay involve:
If the integrated rail plan sets a funding envelope for Northern Powerhouse Rail and invites Transport for the North and Department for Transport to achieve consensus on the network within that affordability envelope, further shortlisting and updating of the strategic outline case would be required. Dependent on the need for additional evidence to support decision making, timescales to submission of the strategic outline case: 6- 9 months from the integrated rail plan.
If the integrated rail plan selects a different network or different phasing from the existing shortlisted option, then existing models could be used to run the integrated rail plan network configuration. Timescales to submission of the strategic outline case: 3-4 months from the integrated rail plan.
If the integrated rail plan changes the fundamental assumptions on which the Northern Powerhouse rail is based, for example on the infrastructure or timing of HS2 Phase 2B or TRU, or necessitate changes to the interim train service specification, then there would be a need to update baseline models which is a much longer process. Timescale to submission of the SOC: perhaps upwards of 6 months.
Transport for the North board members raised concerns about the delays, but Transport for the North board chair John Cridland stated that delaying the strategic outline case could strengthen it in the long run, particularly if an agreement on ambition for the Leeds to Manchester corridor and the Manchester to Liverpool corridor can be reached.
The board agreed to delay the case but commented that they would provide additional statutory advice on a number of issues. These include:
Key strategic benefits of the Northern Powerhouse Rail networks
The role of Transport for the North in the future delivery model for Northern Powerhouse Rail
The mandate to progress towards further routes and design refinement
Outline business cases
Necessary development consenting on parts of the Northern Powerhouse rail network, set to start construction in the mid-2020s
The strategic outline case can only proceed with a joint agreement between Transport for the North and the Department for Transport (DfT), Transport for the North will now begin to write to the Department for Transport to confirm their decision.