THE Government has today confirmed £589 million will kick start work on the Transpennine main line between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester.

The money was confirmed today by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps alongside the establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council, dedicated to accelerating vital infrastructure projects and better connecting communities across the North’s towns and cities.

The route bypasses Bradford but local travellers will be able to take advantage of quicker journey times by using its services.

Government has pledged that the Northern Powerhouse Rail high speed line - which could feature a Bradford station - will also be built.

The most congested section of the Transpennine route will be doubled from two to four tracks, allowing fast trains to overtake slower ones, improving journey times and reliability for passengers across the North.

Most of the line will be electrified, and the Government says its ambition is to go further. Full electrification, digital signalling, more multi-tracking and improved freight capacity are now under consideration as part of an "Integrated Rail Plan" due to report in December.

Those improvements would allow all-electric services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Newcastle; bring longer and more frequent trains; and create significantly more local capacity along the line.

Upgrades to allow more freight on the route, replacing thousands of diesel lorry journeys with electric freight trains, will also be considered in the Plan.

Work is also under way to tackle the bottlenecks at either end of the route, without which the upgrade's potential cannot be fulfilled. Leeds station is being resignalled and a new platform is being built. In central Manchester, development funding was awarded last month to tackle rail congestion.

Ministers say that the council launched today will ensure northern leaders have a direct line to them and has been formed with the desire to cut bureaucracy and red tape so passengers can get the modern, reliable transport network they deserve as quickly as possible.

As part of the government’s wider strategy to level up communities and strengthen devolution, the Council’s work will engage with Department for Transport (DfT) staff based in northern cities and dedicated to delivering for the North.

Transport Secretary and Northern Powerhouse Minister Grant Shapps said: “People across the North rightly expect action, progress and ambition, and this government is determined to accelerate improvements as we invest billions to level up the region’s infrastructure.

“We are determined to build back better at pace, and this new council will allow us to engage collectively and directly with elected northern leaders to build the vital projects the region is crying out for.”

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said: “Levelling-up opportunity will be key in our recovery from Coronavirus - and our long-term success will rely on having world-class infrastructure in all parts of the country. The Transpennine rail upgrade shows we are delivering on our promises to the North.”

The Northern Transport Acceleration Council will hold its first meeting in September and will be made up of mayors and council leaders with the Transport Secretary as chair. It will work closely with the Northern Powerhouse Growth Body to improve outcomes for people and places in the North.

Its establishment and the announcement of funds for upgrade works are the latest in a range of investments this government has put into northern transport.

In March, the DfT took over the running of rail services on the Northern network to deliver vital improvements and ensure that passengers are given the level of service they deserve.

At Budget the Chancellor confirmed over £720m investment in local transport across the North through the Transforming Cities Fund.

At the end of this year the government will publish the Integrated Rail Plan, specifically looking at how to deliver NPR, HS2 and other rail needs as quickly and efficiently as possible for the North. Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and Transport Lead for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: “We welcome any opportunity to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects in the North. Through Transport for the North, Northern leaders have championed northern investment and it’s important that we can continue to be directly involved in shaping these vital projects. “We are keen to see the full details of this announcement, especially the extent of the Trans-Pennine route upgrade and we ask Government to set out what the full benefits for passengers will be. “To truly level up, the UK needs HS2 delivered in full as part of an integrated network with Northern Powerhouse Rail with a line through Bradford city centre, as well as a fully upgraded Trans-Pennine route, investment in the Calder Valley line and improved resilience on the East Coast Main Line, to rebalance the economy and address the poor transport links between cities in the North and Midlands.” Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “While we welcome the additional investment to upgrade the Trans-Pennine route, we will be seeking reassurance that the plans are still based upon the full electrification of the line, which will provide the optimum improvements in terms of journey times for people travelling between Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Manchester and beyond and support our carbon reduction plans. "Our priorities for the region remain for both Northern Powerhouse Rail and a fully electrified Trans-Pennine route to boost our economic growth and to improve the lives of millions of people. We will continue to call for these projects to be delivered as soon as possible.”