S5E04: Northern Powerhouse Rail: the choices that will shape delivery
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What is the purpose of this episode and who are the panelists?
This is Talking Infrastructure, the podcast brought to you by Global Infrastructure Consultancy ACOM. This episode we are back on the road. This is the second of two we've recorded with our panel of experts in front of a live audience at the UK's Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, more commonly known of course as UK Reef. I'm Toby Sadler. Welcome to Talking Infrastructure. Once again, the panel took over the ACOM Cafe venue at UK Reef, the subject Maximizing Chemistry and Streamlining Delivery, Getting Northern Powerhouse Rail to Construction. The focus was on the next 18 months of the project, which are going to be crucial, not just for the railway itself, but for confidence. Confidence from communities, confidence from industry, and confidence to invest in the wider growth story across the
North.
How does Gordon Kells describe the role of the Trans‑Pennine Route Upgrade in the NPR programme?
We looked at the choices facing MPR, how city regions can maximize the benefits, what credible delivery looks like, and what needs to change to move this from aspiration to construction. I was joined on the panel by Gordon Kells, Chief Operating Officer for the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade, Megan Knights, Strategy and Growth Director for Transportation at ACOM, Rosario Bus Center. Rail programme director at Skanska, and Lola McAvoy, the Member of Parliament for Darlington. Gordon Kells started things off with an introduction to his work and his involvement with Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Hi, uh afternoon everyone. So uh on TRU, um, we are effectively the precursor to MPR. We are the start of the NPR journey. Um and we have trying to lay the foundations um for how you deliver major programmes on the earth uh on uh in the north. So I think from my perspective we can give some insights in terms of why TRU has been successful and why we think can grow and build. into NPR and deliver into a long term successful set of projects in the north. Perfect. Thanks, Cole. Make it so.
Thanks, Toby.
Why does Lola McEvoy say rail is a catalyst for growth in Darlington and the wider North?
Um, so ACOM as an engineering business that operates around the world feels very um passionate about being part of the NPR journey going forward to ensure that it really delivers the growth for the north that we think it's got the potential to do. As a Manchester resident myself, I'm very keen to see that coming to fruition so that we increase opportunity for the communities that we have in the region.
Perfect, Rosana.
Um well ScanScat what we tend to do is is convert uh complex, real ambitious into into practicable, practical and buildable solutions. So MPR is a clear example where we can add the back here. Um And it's looking forward
to getting both. Perfect, thank you. I l I love it.
Yeah, and I'm Lena McAvoy. So I'm the MP for Darlington.
How does Rosario Barcena explain turning complex rail ambitions into practical, buildable solutions?
And last week I uh had the pleasure of attending the opening of our new Darlington railway stations. That's a hundred and fifty hundred and forty million pounds worth of investment. And uh it's an expansion that means that we're even more ready for growth and investment and for more people to come to Darlington and to work in the surrounding areas because We know that rail is definitely a key uh catalyst for local and regional growth. And I think for us as the home of the railway, and there's nobody I'm looking around to see if there's anyone who'll dare dispute it, though the Derby colleagues in Parliament sometimes try and rival my claim. But we um 200 years ago, we had the first passenger railway from Stockton to Darlington, and it's a core part of the town's history.
And that's because, you know, it's a a sense of pride 'cause it transformed um growth in the country and globally. But it is really important that when we're talking about how we redistribute some of the opportunities that people in the north have. We have transport and uh fast delivery, um efficient railway operations and uh obviously cost effective. Um
What are the main funding and confidence challenges identified for the next 18 months of NPR?
infrastructure. I think it's really The other thing that I think is really important to note is the frequency of trains really matters because we're seeing in in Manchester that where you've had an extra stop or where you've seen new new rail um infrastructure and stops, you see massive growth in that around that stop as well.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the purpose of this episode and who are the panelists?
0:00–0:51
2
How does Gordon Kells describe the role of the Trans‑Pennine Route Upgrade in the NPR programme?
0:51–2:01
3
Why does Lola McEvoy say rail is a catalyst for growth in Darlington and the wider North?
2:01–2:46
4
How does Rosario Barcena explain turning complex rail ambitions into practical, buildable solutions?
2:46–3:55
5
What are the main funding and confidence challenges identified for the next 18 months of NPR?
3:55–5:06
6
Why is phased delivery important and how can early benefits be shown to the public?
5:06–6:37
7
How can a skills pipeline and local training centres support long‑term delivery of NPR?
6:37–8:32
8
What final actions do the panel recommend to turn ambition into construction and secure investment?
8:32–39:03