Plans for major improvements to rail travel across the north have taken a major step forward this week. A new station has been announced in Bradford as part of the £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail project, a scheme aimed at improving links between Manchester and some of northern England’s biggest cities including Liverpool, Leeds and York.
New Bradford station announced
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said yesterday (October 20) that the new station at Bradford Interchange would be a massive boost for rail travel in the north. “By bringing Northern Powerhouse Rail into the heart of the city, we are unlocking the huge potential Bradford offers – improving connections, supporting economic growth and setting the foundations for new homes, jobs and opportunities across the region,” she said announcing the move.
In Manchester, political leaders have long been calling for better railway links to other northern cities. The masterplan being looked at would mean a new underground station being built at Manchester Piccadilly, as part of a bid to turn the station into the ‘King’s Cross of the north’.
Underground Piccadilly option under review
The Department for Transport (DfT) and Greater Manchester agreed in January 2026 to test the case for an underground Northern Powerhouse Rail station at Manchester Piccadilly, with a review looking at the evidence for the facility and comparing it with the existing surface station option in the Northern Powerhouse Rail Hybrid Bill. It is understood that the review is still taking place but is ‘due soon’ with a recommendation on which option will be progressed at Manchester Piccadilly.
A DfT spokesperson said: “Everyone across the country should have access to good public transport, which is why we are working closely with Greater Manchester to look at improving connectivity across the North. As part of this, we’re reviewing the possibility for an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly for Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
Economic benefits for Manchester
Manchester council leader Garry Bridges welcomed progress on Northern Powerhouse Rail with the new Bradford station, and reiterated the case for an underground station at Piccadilly. “An underground through-station at Piccadilly is essential for Northern Powerhouse Rail, dramatically improving links between the great cities of Northern England. This is a case I am continuing to make strongly,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“That the government has announced investment in a new station for Bradford shows that they are serious about this agenda. For Manchester, the economic benefits of an underground station are long established, with improved rail efficiency, capacity and scope for future expansion. But the economic case for Manchester is stronger still, in that an underground station would unlock a huge area of land to create jobs and housing in what has the potential to be the 'King's Cross of the North.' As a nation, we have to get serious about making those long-term big investment decisions if we are to unlock further growth opportunities in the city.”
It is thought that the wider area around Piccadilly station, which makes up around 150 hectares, could support up to 40,000 jobs and 13,000 homes pushed on by a new Northern Powerhouse Rail station. The surface-turnaround station option could eat up 21 hectares of land which could otherwise be used to support new opportunities.
The wider Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme is aimed at reversing 'years of underinvestment' and create faster and more frequent rail across the north.
