NEW Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) in a bid to unlock potential across the country.

In a speech in Manchester today, Mr Johnson is expected to announce the Manchester to Leeds route as the first step.

The vision for NPR rail, including a Bradford station, was unveiled last year and campaigners have since been pushing for a high-speed city centre station to feel the greatest benefits.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: “I am pleased that Northern Powerhouse Rail has been identified as a priority by the new Prime Minister and we now need to see the detail of how the commitments made today will be taken forward.

“A new line through Bradford city centre is the best solution for our city, our region and the North of England and we are ready to work with the Government to deliver it as quickly as possible.”

VIDEO: Boris Johnson makes pledge on new railway line

Mr Johnson will say today: “I want to be the PM who does with Northern Powerhouse Rail what we did with Crossrail in London.

“And today I am going to deliver on my commitment to that vision with a pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester route.

“It will be up to local people and us to come to an agreement on the exact proposal they want – but I have tasked officials to accelerate their work on these plans so that we are ready to do a deal in the autumn.”

Just days after entering Downing Street as Prime Minister, Mr Johnson is tipped to set out his vision to rebalance power, growth and productivity across the UK.

A commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail will be at the heart of the plan, with detailed plans published this autumn, following the review into HS2.

The new route is expected to cut journey times significantly and provide additional capacity for people across the region.

He will also pledge to “improve the unglamorous local services which people use every day,” such as buses, saying it is about “services within cities, not just services between cities.”

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has thrown his weight behind the Power Up the North campaign, where newspapers across the North called for serious investment to narrow the economic and social gap between the region and the London and South East.

Mr Johnson said: “The Power Up the North campaign demonstrates the dynamism, the ambition and the resolve of newspapers across the North to improve the lives of their readers, and of local businesses and political leaders to drive real change.

“Today I’m whole-heartedly backing the campaign and setting out how my government will narrow the North-South divide, and unleash the power of our great regions."

He is expected to go into more detail about his Government's plans for education, housing, industry and transport to "turbo-charge" the North's economy as the UK leaves the European Union.

“I have a plan to unleash the productive power of the Northern Powerhouse, lift up our forgotten towns and communities, and make them places where people can thrive with safe streets, strong connectivity, good housing, excellent education and sustained investment.

“That way we can build on the region’s great history, deliver prosperity and opportunity for generations to come – and truly power up the North.”

Barry White, Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said: “The fact that the Prime Minister has today firmly committed to delivering a Northern Powerhouse Rail network is a major leap forward for the North. One our business and political leaders have been working tirelessly to secure for several years.

"Just days into his premiership, Boris Johnson is here in the North promising to invest in our creaking infrastructure. Not just the Manchester to Leeds line, but a whole network from Liverpool to Hull, and from Sheffield up to Newcastle, connecting the towns and cities in between.

"As Transport for the North, we’ll work with the new Government to make that a reality as quickly as we can. Any agreement later this year must include funding commitments for work on the whole network, including new lines and significant upgrades, and it must be made jointly with the North, as Boris Johnson promised.

"Following decades of underinvestment, our plans are bold, ambitious, and would deliver a radical rail network for our towns and cities.

“With the Prime Minister committing to power up the North and rebalance the economy - investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail as well as a raft of local improvements as part of an infrastructure pipeline must now come forward.”