Civil engineering insights into Northern Powerhouse Rail

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) set out a major rail programme to support the long-term transformation of the North of England’s economy by increasing the capacity, speed and resilience of the region’s rail network.

This insights paper reviews the status of NPR following publication of the government’s Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP).

The vision set out in the IRP makes significant changes to the preferred NPR strategy developed by Transport for the North.

The paper covers:

• The status of NPR
• The proposed benefits of NPR
• International comparators
• The public’s expectations on transport provision in the North
• Alternatives to NPR

This paper is an update to an insight paper first published in March 2020. It has been informed by available published evidence and insight from ICE experts.