Date: 13/08/2015

It all sounded different before the election. The chancellor, George Osborne, had promised a northern powerhouse, connecting the cities of the north into one booming economic entity, forged by fast transport connections. The electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Manchester and Leeds and the Midland mainline from Sheffield were two big transport goodies around the corner. And why stop there? Even the prime minister popped up to Leeds to propose HS3, a sequel to the HS2 high-speed rail line, with a vague but exciting promise of new cross-Pennine rail links.

External links

Is chugging along enough after railway upgrades put on pause?

Guardian

With election promises shelved, passengers are facing slow progress on many rail routes, particularly in the north