A new study has revealed the benefits that Northern Powerhouse Rail could have on cities across the region.

Latest figures from Transport for the North’s rail modelling system shows how delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 will result in substantial improvements in connectivity for people and businesses across Bradford and neighbouring cities.

The figures demonstrate the real-life impact and opportunity that could come as a result of the rail project.

Key findings from the anaylsis include:

  • An extra 3.5 million people (45 per cent increase) and 110,000 businesses (45 per cent increase) within two hours of Bradford.
  • Nearly three million additional people (42 per cent increase) and 94,000 more businesses (43 per cent increase) within two hours of Sheffield.
  • An additional 49,000 businesses (59 per cent increase) and 1.7 million more people (60 per cent increase) within two hours of Hull.
  • More than two million additional people (43 per cent increase) and a further 54,000 businesses (41 per cent increase) within two hours of Darlington.
  • More than 66,000 extra businesses (45 per cent increase) and 2.2 million more people (43 per cent increase) within two hours of Durham.

The data reveals that the number of people and businesses within two hours of certain places increases by more than 50 per cent in some instances, with significant benefits for the North-East and parts of Yorkshire.

Tim Wood, Northern Powerhouse Rail Director at Transport for the North, said:"The statistics show that the programme will bring people and business across the region closer together, through a metro-style, high-speed, electrified railway, opening up opportunity and rocket-boosting regional economic growth.”

"Northern Powerhouse Rail is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the region’s railway and radically enhance connectivity between the North’s communities, creating jobs and boosting the Northern economy for decades to come."

Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the NP11 and Leeds City Region LEP, commented: “Northern Powerhouse Rail will deliver an economic boost to our towns and cities and move the North towards a more integrated economy that will ‘level-up’ the region and boost UK productivity.

“Investing in our region’s rail infrastructure will be a necessity if we are to fully deliver the Government’s levelling-up agenda. The programme will connect the major economic centres of the North as well as under-served communities, generating opportunity, attracting investment, creating jobs, and unleashing our potential.”

The analysis also indicates that there will be considerable benefit to the region’s international gateways with more than three million more people (46 per cent increase) within two hours of Manchester Airport and two million additional people (45 per cent increase) within two hours of Durham Tees Valley Airport.

The benefits of Northern Powerhouse Rail in full to some major cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool are well known, but the analysis shows that the opportunities stretch far beyond these major cities.