50 road and rail upgrades announced for the UK – here are the routes getting a boost
Millions of commuters and businesses are set to benefit from quicker journeys, as more than 50 road and rail upgrades are given the green light – including the long-awaited A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route and Portishead to Bristol city centre rail line, the government announced on Tuesday (8 July).
Working people will also gain better access to jobs and housing through these schemes, the Department for Transport said.
Five major road schemes in the north and Midlands are confirmed as funded, including the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire, which will cut journey times and connect thousands to key economic hubs across the Midlands.
The M60/M62/M66 Simister Island (Greater Manchester), connecting to developments which could support 20,000 new jobs and 7,000 new homes if planning approval granted, has also been confirmed as funded, alongside the A38 Derby Junctions (Derby) which will support 15,400 new homes and A46 Newark Bypass in Nottinghamshire, which could support thousands of new jobs and homes, if planning approval is granted.
The long-awaited A66 Northern Trans-Pennine will also be delivered and will cut journey times across the north, support over 10,000 new homes and connect millions across the region as a key national and international economic route.
The government is also announcing key rail projects across the country, including reinstating a passenger rail line between Bristol city centre and Portishead, which last ran over 60 years ago, delivering 3 brand new train stations, bringing thousands more people closer to a railway and funding a Midlands Rail Hub, creating brand new rail links for more than 50 locations.
To support local journeys, the government is also committing support to continue 28 local road schemes vital to connecting and growing communities. These schemes, which include the Middlewich Eastern Bypass and A382 Drumbridges to Newton Abbot schemes, are not motorways or trunk A-roads, but junctions, bypasses and traffic-easing projects which will improve millions of congested commutes and unlock further housing and jobs.
Over 42,000 new jobs and 39,000 new homes are estimated to be supported thanks to the funding committed for major road schemes. Journey times will be slashed, saving commuters, businesses, and freight thousands of hours every week, and boosting economic growth across the whole country.
Rail upgrades
The government is investing a further £27 million to reinstate passenger rail services between Portishead and Bristol city centre. The new hourly services will connect an additional 50,000 people to the rail network and support a significant new housing development.
Two new stations, Wellington and Cullompton, have been given the green light in the south-west of England, unlocking significant new housing developments and providing more chances for people to access Exeter to visit loved ones and benefit from increased leisure, education and employment opportunities. Similarly, a new station at Haxby will now be delivered, bringing an additional 20,000 people within 3 kilometres of the railway, providing easy access to the regional centres of York and Leeds.
The Midlands is also set to see a huge improvement in its rail services. The new Midlands Rail Hub will be the region’s biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme to date. Significant government funding will mean huge numbers of additional trains and extra seats can be added to the rail network in and out of Birmingham every single day. This will support new homes and create greener growth across the Midlands while providing faster, more frequent and brand new rail links for more than 50 locations and creating almost 13,000 construction jobs.
Investment will also benefit existing rail users. The East Coast Main Line, which runs the length of the country, is already benefiting from an increase in capacity and frequency and will also receive new, upgraded digital signalling, boosting the capability and resilience of the line, and reducing delays by one third. This rollout will support new digital skills in the rail sector and the creation of 4,800 new roles across the supply chain.
“Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers’ money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier,” said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
“With over £92 billion investment, including the biggest ever boost for city regions in the north and Midlands, we’re delivering the schemes that fast-track economic growth and jobs, connect communities, and will help us build 1.5 million new homes, as we deliver our Plan for Change.
“We’re forging ahead with the vital new transport infrastructure Britain needs, and improving what we’ve already got, to deliver a new era of renewal and opportunity,” she said.
