The Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme
National Audit Office
The Department for Transport faces the risk of further delays and cost increases to the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU).
This influential report from the National Audit Office reveals that nearly 20% of the £1 billion funding released for the project so far has already been wasted on unnecessary work, because rail ministers keep changing their minds.
And while the NAO says the DfT has now put the TRU on a firmer footing, it warns that it is “not yet clear how the upgrade’s intended benefits will be achieved”.
It adds that while the DfT has “developed a clear case” for investment in the route, it has “taken too long to decide how to upgrade it”.
As a result, in the pre-COVID decade, annual passenger journeys increased from 106 million to 137 million, resulting in overcrowding.
In May, the DfT forecast that the TRU will cost £9 billion to £11.5bn and will be completed between 2036-41.
