British government invests £1.2bn in England's railway system

The railway system in the north of England and Scotland will undergo major improvements due to a series of new franchise deals, the officials announced

The big railway transformation will include 500 brand-new air conditioner carriages which will replace the old outdated Pacer trains, 40.000 extra passenger seats capacity and more than 2.000 extra services, to provide a 21^st century modern train experience to its customers.

Two franchise deals divided by two major railway companies will deliver the projects

The Northern franchise will be awarded by the government to Arriva Rail North from April 2016 until March 2025, and the Trans Pennine Express franchise to First Trans Pennine Express. The Department for Transport and Rail North Limited from Leeds will be responsible to manage the franchise.

Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne declared:

“Delivering a world class transport system is at the heart of our plans to build the Northern Powerhouse and today’s announcement helps to take this to the next level.

“At the Spending Review we committed to the biggest rise in transport spending in a generation, with the north benefiting from major new investment, and now these new franchises are set to transform the connectivity, speed and capacity of rail services for families and businesses across the entire region.”

Moreover, the Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin also commented:

“We promised passengers a world class rail service that would make the Northern Powerhouse a reality – and I’m delighted that we have found two operators that will deliver exactly that.

“As a one nation government we are committed to closing the economic gap between north and south.

“This deal, and the joint management of the franchises, will bring the Northern Powerhouse to life.

“In 2004, the last time these contracts were awarded, the government did not plan for growth – today we’ve put that right.”