Question: What company jointly owned a British train operating company that had a steering partnership with a rail programme in Northern England to improve and increase train services and reduce journey times between its major cities and towns by electrifying lines and removing a major rail bottleneck in Manchester?
Sentence (from "Northern Hub"): The project has several elements but the prime objective is to eradicate the bottleneck in Manchester and allow trains to travel through the city at speed without stopping.
Relevant evidence: No