Transport for the North (TfN) has today (25 March) unveiled an ambitious plan to help the region achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth, which it says will be enabled by “transformational connectivity.”
The new Strategic Transport Plan (STP) was approved by Northern leaders at the Transport for the North Board meeting in Leeds last week. It outlines how with the right investment and policy levers, together with transformational transport infrastructure, the North could have an economy that will be £118 billion larger by 2050.
The blueprint (which builds on the first plan published five years ago) sets out the case to transform the North’s transport infrastructure and services, demonstrating how better connectivity can enable economic growth, decarbonise our transport system and create more opportunities for all. The first STP enabled a step change in Government funding for rail, by setting out the case for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
TfN’s new Plan is focused on the outcomes needed for people and places, seeking to better connect communities and businesses with services and opportunities. It sets out robust monitoring and evaluation to measure progress year-on-year, making sure the plan is on track.
The new STP:
Sets out the North’s ambition for near zero emissions from surface transport in the region by 2045
Supports efforts to reduce car dependency and create the capacity required to grow patronage on our public transport networks
Recognises the scale of change required in accessibility needed to unlock opportunity and reduce social exclusion by one million people by 2050
Puts in place a long-term ambition to treble the share of freight carried by rail.
Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said: “Our Strategic Transport Plan sets out Transport for the North’s statutory advice to government on how the North, speaking with one voice, can reach a sustainable, socially inclusive transport network for the future, support growth and employment opportunities.
“The STP will lay the foundations for the transport infrastructure investment for the North for decades to come. We will provide further advice to government on how the plan can be implemented, from the pan-regional investment pipeline required, to efficiencies in how transport infrastructure and services are delivered. The evidence in this STP shows how with sustained investment, the right policy levers and enabling behaviour change, we can truly transform the North.”