A blueprint for how £13 billion of government investment in transport will help create the Northern Powerhouse has been unveiled as ministers visited major infrastructure projects that are transforming the region.
The Northern Powerhouse is a one-nation drive to close the economic gap between north and south by helping the region unleash its full power and create a balanced, healthier economy.
Making transport better by improving the links that bind the north together is integral to this enterprise. It will bring cities and regions closer together and strengthen connections - Liverpool to Hull, the north west to Yorkshire, the north east and the Midlands – making it easier for hard working people and businesses to access markets or deploy their skills. The blueprint shows how transport links across the north are being transformed by government investment.
The government also announced an independent review by leading entrepreneur and businesswoman Michelle Mone OBE, to encourage further business start-ups and entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities, including in the north.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We had a choice - building the infrastructure our country needs, or letting our transport system become a brake on growth and opportunity. We have chosen to invest for the future.
"Across the north, that investment is already having a huge impact, with programmes underway to upgrade our railways and our roads. We are determined to keep the momentum
Already this year, new electric train services began running between Manchester, Liverpool and Wigan for the first time. The Prime Minister recently appointed a new Business Advisory Group, including Andy Clarke, CEO of Asda, which is based in Leeds and employs 70,000 people across the north of England.
The government also announced the appointment of Michelle Mone OBE, who will conduct an independent review to encourage further business start-ups and entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities, including in the north.
