Latest news with #HuwMerriman
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
New platform's opening gives Bradford more trains
A new £24m platform at Bradford's Forster Square Station has opened - boosting rail services in the city. The investment means operator LNER will run seven services each way between Bradford and London King's Cross on weekdays and six on Sundays, an increase from the current two services. Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said it would provide much-needed extra capacity during the City of Culture year. The milestone is being marked with an event which will include performances from the Bantam of the Opera choir, which is made up of Bradford City fans. A specially-liveried LNER Azuma train, one of the new Bradford services, will also be unveiled ahead of it leaving the platform at 11.17 BST. Bradford's poor rail links have long been seen as a factor holding the city back from reaching its full potential. When rail minister Huw Merriman announced the government-funded scheme earlier this year, he said it would futureproof the station for generations to come while reducing delays and improving access into the city for passengers, commuters and tourists. Ahead of the opening, volunteers and railway staff spent time last week cleaning and picking up litter from the station, car park and surrounding area Parts of the station, which is operated by Northern, have also been repainted and upgraded. In the 1890s, the station had six platforms and a large canopy roof. There was a major rebuild in 1993, when the Victorian station was demolished and a new terminus built with three platforms. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. New £24m platform to boost city train services City to get more daily trains to London
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
New platform's opening gives Bradford more trains
A new £24m platform at Bradford's Forster Square Station has opened - boosting rail services in the city. The investment means operator LNER will run seven services each way between Bradford and London King's Cross on weekdays and six on Sundays, an increase from the current two services. Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said it would provide much-needed extra capacity during the City of Culture year. The milestone is being marked with an event which will include performances from the Bantam of the Opera choir, which is made up of Bradford City fans. A specially-liveried LNER Azuma train, one of the new Bradford services, will also be unveiled ahead of it leaving the platform at 11.17 BST. Bradford's poor rail links have long been seen as a factor holding the city back from reaching its full potential. When rail minister Huw Merriman announced the government-funded scheme earlier this year, he said it would futureproof the station for generations to come while reducing delays and improving access into the city for passengers, commuters and tourists. Ahead of the opening, volunteers and railway staff spent time last week cleaning and picking up litter from the station, car park and surrounding area Parts of the station, which is operated by Northern, have also been repainted and upgraded. In the 1890s, the station had six platforms and a large canopy roof. There was a major rebuild in 1993, when the Victorian station was demolished and a new terminus built with three platforms. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. New £24m platform to boost city train services City to get more daily trains to London
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bradford gets more London trains as city's new platform opens
A new £24m platform at Bradford's Forster Square Station has opened - boosting rail services in the investment means operator LNER will run seven services each way between Bradford and London King's Cross on weekdays and six on Sundays, an increase from the current two Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said it would provide much-needed extra capacity during the City of Culture milestone is being marked with an event which will include performances from the Bantam of the Opera choir, which is made up of Bradford City fans. A specially-liveried LNER Azuma train, one of the new Bradford services, will also be unveiled ahead of it leaving the platform at 11.17 poor rail links have long been seen as a factor holding the city back from reaching its full rail minister Huw Merriman announced the government-funded scheme earlier this year, he said it would futureproof the station for generations to come while reducing delays and improving access into the city for passengers, commuters and of the opening, volunteers and railway staff spent time last week cleaning and picking up litter from the station, car park and surrounding area Parts of the station, which is operated by Northern, have also been repainted and the 1890s, the station had six platforms and a large canopy roof. There was a major rebuild in 1993, when the Victorian station was demolished and a new terminus built with three platforms. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Two major UK cities set to get brand new rail line to put an end to 'slow, unreliable journeys' - as leaders expect £15billion economic boost
A new railway line between Liverpool and Manchester could slash journey times and provide the economy with a £15billion boost, regional leaders have claimed. Supporters of the ambitious project claim it would cut journey times between the city centres to 32 minutes, compared with an average of 49 minutes currently. The line would run from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly, with stops at a new Liverpool Gateway station, Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport. Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, with former rail minister Huw Merriman, want Ministers to back plans for the line which would 'punch well above its weight' A report outlining the case for the 'Liverpool-Manchester Railway' said it would bring more than half a million more people within 30 minutes of the destinations. Construction could begin in the early 2030s and would deliver an estimated £15billion boost to the economy and create 22,000 jobs, according to the document. The line would be a major component of the Northern Arc, which is described as 'an emerging economic corridor stretching from the Mersey to the Pennines and beyond'. Analysis by consultancy Metro Dynamics suggested infrastructure investment in the region could boost the UK's economic output by £90billion over the next 15 years. The Conservative government committed £17billion to a new railway line between Liverpool and Manchester following the cancellation of HS2's northern leg in October 2023. Boosting rail infrastructure between the cities was included in the Labour Government's High Speed Rail Bill in last year's King's Speech. Mr Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said there is 'hardly a person in the North who hasn't felt the frustration of slow, unreliable journeys, or missed out on things because of creaking, outdated infrastructure'. He went on: 'We're putting forward a serious, deliverable plan that does things differently - developing plans at a regional level instead of a top-down approach. 'Not cap in hand, but shoulder to shoulder with Government. We're offering a new way of doing things: faster, fairer, and better value. 'With the right backing, we can get spades in the ground in the early 2030s and deliver the world-class railway we deserve.' His Greater Manchester counterpart, Mr Burnham, said: 'A new Liverpool-Manchester Railway would be shorter than both London's Elizabeth line and East West Rail connecting Oxford and Cambridge, but would punch well above its weight in both growing the UK's economy and better connecting our high-growth sectors.' He added: 'We want to work hand in hand with Government to plan and deliver this railway from the ground up, enabling us to maintain our growth momentum.' Mr Merriman, who chairs the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, said: 'The Government must invest in infrastructure to achieve its number one priority of growing the UK economy. 'With years of concentration in the South, there needs to be a fair balance of where that's targeted, and the time is ripe to rebalance the nation.' Mr Merriman was rail minister in Rishi Sunak's Conservative government from October 2022 until the general election in July 2024.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Travel time to be slashed between major northern cities as new train line planned
A new railway line between the northern cities of Liverpool and Manchester has been proposed by regional leaders to significantly reduce travel times and a substantial economic boost to the region. Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, joined by former rail minister Huw Merriman, are championing the project and seeking government backing. A report outlining the proposal, titled the Liverpool-Manchester Railway, details how the new line could slash journey times between the two city centres to just 32 minutes, down from the current average of 49 minutes. This improvement would also expand the number of people living within a 30-minute commute of both cities by over half a million. The proposed route would connect Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly, incorporating stops at a newly constructed Liverpool Gateway station, Warrington Bank Quay, and Manchester Airport. Beyond the immediate benefits to commuters, the construction phase is projected to inject an estimated £15 billion into the economy and generate 22,000 jobs. The railway would be a major component of the Northern Arc, which is described as 'an emerging economic corridor stretching from the Mersey to the Pennines and beyond'. Analysis by consultancy Metro Dynamics suggested infrastructure investment in the region could boost the UK's economic output by £90 billion over the next 15 years. The Conservative government committed £17 billion to a new railway line between Liverpool and Manchester following the cancellation of HS2's northern leg in October 2023. Boosting rail infrastructure between the cities was included in the Labour Government's High Speed Rail Bill in last year's King's Speech. Mr Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said there is 'hardly a person in the North who hasn't felt the frustration of slow, unreliable journeys, or missed out on things because of creaking, outdated infrastructure'. He went on: 'We're putting forward a serious, deliverable plan that does things differently – developing plans at a regional level instead of a top-down approach. 'Not cap in hand, but shoulder to shoulder with Government. 'We're offering a new way of doing things: faster, fairer, and better value. 'With the right backing, we can get spades in the ground in the early 2030s and deliver the world-class railway we deserve.' His Greater Manchester counterpart, Mr Burnham, said: 'A new Liverpool-Manchester Railway would be shorter than both London's Elizabeth line and East West Rail connecting Oxford and Cambridge, but would punch well above its weight in both growing the UK's economy and better connecting our high-growth sectors.' He added: 'We want to work hand in hand with Government to plan and deliver this railway from the ground up, enabling us to maintain our growth momentum.' Mr Merriman, who chairs the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, said: 'The Government must invest in infrastructure to achieve its number one priority of growing the UK economy. 'With years of concentration in the South, there needs to be a fair balance of where that's targeted, and the time is ripe to rebalance the nation.' Mr Merriman was rail minister in Rishi Sunak's Conservative government from October 2022 until the general election in July 2024.
