The Hope Valley line in the Peak District will finally receive a long-awaited upgrade which will include a loop connecting Sheffield to Manchester. Which will allow passenger trains to pass slow-moving freight wagons and in turn reduce journey times.
The upgrade to the line - which connects 4.2 million people between Sheffield and Greater Manchester - aims to reduce delays, improve reliability of trains and add a third direct train per hour.
The upgrade was approved back in 2018 however the scheme hit a number of set backs which caused severe delays. South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis demanded an urgent government meeting when it emerged the work would not begin until 2023.
He welcomed the news and said : “This is a significant boost for our region. I’m pleased that our persistence has paid off, and that ministers have finally listened to our calls to deliver long-awaited investment in this critical line between Sheffield and Manchester,”
The improvements were shared and revealed by the House of Commons in an announcement yesterday that the £137 million will be used to design and deliver the upgrade between the two cities of Manchester and Sheffield.
Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “This long-awaited investment will help to unlock economic growth and connectivity benefits in the near term for people and businesses in the Sheffield City Region and beyond, while we wait for the full programme of work to be delivered on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Sheffield and Manchester”
