![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smart-rail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/TfN-Aug-2019.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAn\nextract from the confidential document seen by The Yorkshire Post<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
During a “heated”\nbehind-closed doors meeting of TfN’s board in Leeds he refused to back the\ndecision to allow work to continue on HS2 based on the current design, which\nwould allow the line to connect to NPR at six touch points across the North.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TfN’s chairman John Cridland was forced to withdraw his\nofficers’ recommendations and the matter will be discussed again at the next TfN\nboard meeting in September. Leaders asked TfN to go back and do more work on\nthe project to ensure the North makes the most of the opportunity high speed\nrail presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is now feared that a lack of agreement may\npotentially delay the Government’s plans for HS2 to be extended from the\nMidlands to Leeds and Manchester under Phase 2b of the controversial project,\nthough TfN insists its work is not holding HS2 up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The current plan is for the legislation to be placed\nbefore the Commons in June 2020, based on having a surface station at\nPiccadilly and an extra HS2 platform at Leeds station instead of a proposed\n‘touchpoint’ south of the city where the two high speed lines would intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any major changes to the Bill would have to come via an\n‘additional provision’ (AP), which takes months to prepare and develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nA confidential TfN document seen by The Yorkshire Post says that a decision\nlater than Summer 2019 “may not leave sufficient time” to develop an\nAP, potentially meaning the main HS2 Bill can’t be placed by June and\njeopardising the promised arrival of the line in the North by 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report discussed on July 31 says: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“HS2 Ltd have advised that a decision is needed now if they are to prepare an Additional Provision with different designs for the Phase 2b Bill.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
It adds: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Delays to the approvals and construction of HS2 will have implications for the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail. The scale of delay to either scheme is difficult to quantify at this stage.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A Department for Transport spokesman said last night there was no “immediate” risk of delaying the HS2 bill. He said: “<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are continuing work with TfN on developing NPR. TfN is considering making a case for changes to existing HS2 designs but we have not yet seen a business case for these.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The spokesman added: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Prime Minister has made clear the Government\u2019s commitment to regional growth and prosperity in the North, including to accelerate plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester and Leeds. The Prime Minister has also said he intends to hold a review on HS2.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.yorkshirepost.co.uk\/news\/uk\/exclusive-greater-manchester-mayor-s-bid-for-6bn-underground-station-could-delay-arrival-of-high-speed-rail-in-the-north-1-9927112<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tensions rise at northern leaders’ transport meeting as Greater\nManchester mayor refuses to back plan for high speed rail station<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
[from the Yorkshire Post, Friday 09 August 2019]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a moment of\ngreat symbolism as new Prime Minister Boris Johnson used his first major policy\nspeech at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum to promise a high speed rail\nlink between the city and Leeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pledge two weeks ago was warmly welcomed by many as a sign that plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project connecting the great cities of the North had the support of government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\nbehind the scenes, wrangling over the details of the scheme and how it will\nconnect with the HS2 route between London and the North has caused tensions\nbetween transport officials and northern political leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the lack of agreement has led to fears that the\narrival of high speed rail in the North could potentially be delayed beyond the\nlong-promised date of 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A major bone of contention is how Manchester’s\nPiccadilly station should be extended to accommodate the 250mph HS2 trains from\nLondon and NPR trains to Liverpool, Leeds and the rest of the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysis\nby TfN, HS2 Ltd and Network Rail suggests a six platform, 400 metre station\ncould be built above ground – extending the proposed HS2 station at the site by\ntwo platforms – for an extra \u00a3570m compared to the original HS2-only scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\nofficials in Greater Manchester, led by Labour metro mayor Andy Burnham, refuse\nto back this and have argued strongly for an underground station to accommodate\nNorthern Powerhouse Rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According\nto a confidential TfN document seen by The Yorkshire Post, costings by\ntransport officials suggest such a station would need four 400-metre platforms\nand would cost \u00a36bn. But Mr Burnham’s team have cast doubt on the evidence used\nfor the decision and say more work is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ntensions are understood to have bubbled to the surface during the most recent\nmeeting of Transport for the North’s board, held in Leeds on July 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During\nthe public section of the meeting the Greater Manchester mayor welcomed Mr\nJohnson’s announcement and said northern leaders should not lower their ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
they will set conditions for growth in the\nNorth for the rest of this century.”And\nafter the press and public were asked to leave, tensions rose as Mr Burnham\nchallenged the plan to allow HS2 to go ahead with their plans based on a\nsurface station and not his preferred underground option. A source told The\nYorkshire Post: “It got a bit heated.”\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time is ticking away on the project, with the Hybrid\nBill for Phase 2b of HS2 due to be deposited next June as part of a timescale\nthat would see the high speed route arrive in Yorkshire by 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any changes to the design – which currently includes a\nsurface station at Piccadilly – would require further legislation, which the\nTfN document warns would need to get underway this summer to fit the current\ntimescale. The next meeting of the authority’s board is not until September 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nOne northern leader told this newspaper they feared the dispute might delay the\narrival of NPR in the North or even put the whole project at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you are going to government and saying we want Northern Powerhouse Rail and there is unnecessary spending, that would provide a massive excuse not to approve it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A Treasury source told The Yorkshire Post: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We have got a relatively sympathetic PM in Government but you need to be practical and realistic. If people are making excessive demands that are not universally supported, that is not going to be helpful. There is a finite amount of money, that is life.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, TfN said its work was not holding up HS2 from progressing its plans. A spokeswoman said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was agreed last week by our Board to come back in September following additional work on the various network options. This work is not holding up HS2 from progressing their current plans.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe submitted a high-level business case to the Government in February for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which included several different options. We\u2019re now working through these in more detail with both our members and the Department for Transport as our co-client.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“However, our northern leaders are clear that we fully expect a commitment from Government to the \u00a339 billion network to connect all of the North\u2019s cities with a fast and reliable railway.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Henri Murison, Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, which represents civic and business leaders, said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe speech made by the Prime Minister last month made clear the need to accelerate progress on Northern Powerhouse Rail \u2013 which must be the focus of all those of us involved in the coming months.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“We must ensure the project reflects the settled will of the North\u2019s leaders – including a Bradford City Centre station. The Prime Minister has made clear that the will of the North must be the basis for the scheme he wants to see in the autumn agreed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFurther work on underground station in Manchester is not delaying HS2 or Northern Powerhouse Rail \u2013 and is the right thing to do because there is significant further work being undertaken to find a solution which works for the North, and isn\u2019t one designed and dictated to us by officials from Whitehall.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Junction south of Leeds would be too\ndisruptive, says TfN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leaders in West Yorkshire could also be disappointed as\nthe current plan for the design of HS2 does not include a ‘touchpoint’ in\nStourton, south of Leeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This measure would have allowed HS2 and NPR services\napproaching from the south to loop round and pass through Leeds station – which\nis designed with trains coming in from the east and west – rather than\nterminating in the city or passing through altogether on the way north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in its report, written by its NPR director Tim Wood,\nTfN says creating this junction would lead to “significant disruption in\nsouth Leeds and significant impacts upon local employment sites”, with a\n\u00a3800m cost much higher than originally thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials now say alternative options are available\nusing the proposed HS2 station at Leeds, which would be built south of the\nexisting station, combined with infrastructure work in South Yorkshire which\nwould cost less and “avoid the complex delivery issues at Stourton”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which\nmakes transport decisions for the county, said the benefits of a touchpoint\n“include the possibility of new routings between the North\u2019s core cities\nwith greater opportunities to release additional capacity and reshape the\nnational network”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also want to see HS2 services to reach wider markets beyond Leeds, such as Bradford, Huddersfield and, further afield, Hull, which could mean high-speed services arriving in Bradford 10 years ahead of the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“The benefits could also boost the commercial benefits of HS2\u2019s eastern leg and also provide the potential for new markets such as the North East and the East Midlands as well as supporting more efficient operations through enhanced connectivity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The point of the Stourton junction proposal is to enable trains from the new HS2 line to carry on to Bradford, enabling better connectivity to cities like Sheffield, and ensure the system has resilience.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“Many focused on the case for NPR are open to all ways to achieve the same benefits \u2013 but until we see the detail of any alternatives no one should rule it out from further consideration.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
An HS2 Ltd spokeswoman said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe continue to work on the detailed design of Phase 2b route between Birmingham and Leeds, and Crewe and Manchester, in line with the projected timescales for the hybrid Bill submission.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“We revised our hybrid Bill submission date to enable more time to work with Transport for the North and explore all potential opportunities to align HS2 and NPR, as we\u2019re determined the North gets the best possible transport system.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“HS2 is essential to Transport for the North\u2019s plans. Together, we will enable faster, more frequent and reliable rail services, making it easier for people and businesses to live, work and trade where they want.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“HS2 will give passengers thousands of extra seats every day, and will move intercity trains off the busy existing rail network, freeing up space to run future NPR services.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.yorkshirepost.co.uk\/news\/uk\/tensions-rise-at-northern-leaders-transport-meeting-as-greater-manchester-mayor-refuses-to-back-plan-for-high-speed-rail-station-1-9927173<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
North\nmust show united front over high speed rail – The Yorkshire Post says<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
High speed rail is essential for our region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YP COMMENT, Saturday 10 August 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HIGH speed rail is absolutely essential for our region if it is to realise its economic potential in the years and decades ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without it, there is a very\nreal risk that the North will fall yet farther behind the South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means any obstacle to either the HS2 line reaching Yorkshire, or Northern Powerhouse Rail transforming links across the Pennines has to be viewed with a great degree of concern, not least because amid uncertain economic conditions there is a possibility of the Government reneging on funding commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>So it is very much to be hoped that the dispute over whether a \u00a36bn NPR station in Manchester should be built above or below ground can be resolved both quickly and amicably, as any sign of dissent amongst the North\u2019s leaders sends entirely the wrong message to the Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is more than ever necessary for the great cities of the North to present a united front in their dealings with London, to have settled and fully-formed plans and above all to speak with one voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>For the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, to depart from that by refusing to support the \u00a339bn NPR scheme because he wants a station built underground, and not on the surface, is, to say the least, unhelpful and potentially delays HS2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This cannot be allowed to\nhappen, especially after the Prime Minister came north for his first engagement\noutside London and pledged support for a high-speed line between Leeds and\nManchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The North must keep its focus on the main prize \u2013 transformational new transport links that mean companies in Yorkshire and elsewhere can prosper and their staff get to work quickly and efficiently, both of which are desperately needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is what matters, and any\ndisputes must firmly be set aside in order that it is achieved as rapidly as\npossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.yorkshirepost.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/columnists\/north-must-show-united-front-over-high-speed-rail-the-yorkshire-post-says-1-9927379<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor’s bid for \u00a36bn underground station could delay arrival of high speed rail in the North” [from the Yorkshire Post, Friday 09 August 2019] The arrival of high speed rail in the North could be delayed because … Continue reading