The UK Government has announced a major upgrade plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail, committing to deliver the biggest travel improvement in northern England in a generation. This plan will be delivered in collaboration with Transport for the North and Network Rail, aiming to transform rail connections between cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, and York.

As part of this sequence, the government secured initial funding of £1.1 billion (US$1.47 billion) to enable planning, development, and design work that will unlock benefits for communities in the 2030s and onwards, supporting programmes such as the Transpennine Upgrade. It then identified the first phase of NPR to improve connections between Sheffield and Leeds, Leeds and York, and Leeds and Bradford, alongside complementary work on the Leamside Line in the North East. Following this, the plan moves to a second phase, which includes a new rail route between Liverpool and Manchester via Manchester Airport and Warrington, and eventual enhanced east–west connectivity across the Pennines linking Manchester with Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York. Regular services are also planned to extend beyond these city pairs toward Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, Hull, and Chester for connections toward North Wales.  

Alongside infrastructure changes, the government aims to leverage improved connectivity to boost economic growth, create tens of thousands of jobs, and support new homes and investment across northern city regions. A funding cap of £45 billion (US$60 billion) will govern the bespoke NPR programme over its lifespan, and broader transport and skills development initiatives will work in tandem to deliver these outcomes. This sequence reflects the move from strategic planning and funding through to detailed route improvement and delivery phases, with the overarching goal of transforming travel and economic opportunities in the North.