Steve Johns, partner at law firm Weightmans, warns that without ‘sustained funding commitments’ the plan could reach the end of the track before much headway is made.
Steve Johns says the Government must push ahead with NPR(Image: Weightmans)
The government has started 2026 with notable momentum on rail infrastructure. The TransPennine Route Upgrade continues to deliver, now 25% electrified with three more stations set for completion this year. Taken together with last week’s £45bn commitment towards the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), this year could be transformative for northern connectivity.
Even Andy Burnham has thrown his support behind the announcement – a notable shift given his previous hesitancy. He’s praised the “ambitious vision for the North” and the government’s “firm commitment to NPR”. That endorsement will inevitably raise hopes across the region.
And this optimism is understandable. The economic case for NPR speaks for itself. Greater Manchester’s economy is growing four times faster than the UK average, with Sheffield and Newcastle following closely behind at two times as fast as the UK average and Liverpool, Leeds, York, and Hull all outpacing London on economic value per person
The northern economy is on an upwards growth trajectory but what it lacks is the infrastructure to fully capitalise on this momentum. NPR has the potential to address that deficit with renewed focus on improving transport in Greater Manchester and the North West, alongside upgraded connectivity across the TransPennine corridor.
Yet caution is warranted. Northerners have heard these bold promises before, with previous iterations of NPR quietly shelved when political priorities shift. The disappointment caused by the cancellation of the northern legs of HS2 remains fresh in the mind and, just a few weeks ago, the government kicked the long-proposed West Yorkshire mass transit system into the long grass – yet again. When it comes to major transport investment, northerners have good reason to be wary of big promises.
Given recent history, it is hard to ignore the nature of the funding commitment. The announcement speaks of initial investment, but as we know, major rail infrastructure requires sustained funding commitments to succeed across successive governments. Projects of this scale cannot withstand stop-start financing or political uncertainty. Without cast-iron guarantees that funding will continue regardless of political cycles or budget pressures, there’s a risk this could become another abandoned promise.
Delivering NPR will require more than a headline figure – it demands funding certainty and a credible timetable that extends well beyond the next election cycle.
The North has waited long enough. If the government is serious about levelling up and harnessing the region’s economic dynamism, NPR must move from promise to delivery. This time, the infrastructure must match the ambition.
- Steve Johns is a partner at law firm Weightmans
