What is the financing amount for Northern Powerhouse Rail?
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) is the Government's planned programme of new and upgraded rail lines between the major cities of the north of England, restructured in January 2026 into three phases (lines radiating from Leeds, a new Liverpool to Manchester line and improved trans-Pennine links east of Manchester) for completion in the 2040s. The National Audit Office report of 11 March 2026 says the Department for Transport has not yet developed a formal cost estimate and has set a funding cap of GBP 45 billion (2025 prices) for spend from 2026-27, plus about GBP 410 million of design work already spent and GBP 1.1 billion approved for development to 2029-30.
Financing amount
£45 billion
Approximately $59.25 billion
Cost basis: 2025
Cost evidence