Green light for over 50 road and rail upgrades supporting over 39,000 new homes and 42,000 jobs
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-08)

Commuters and businesses to benefit from quicker journeys as more than 50 road and rail upgrades are agreed.

- 5 strategic road schemes and 5 key rail upgrades given government funding – supporting 42,000 jobs, paving the way for 1.5 million new homes as part of the Plan for Change, and rail enhancements will connect 50,000 more people to the rail network
- backed by over £92 billion from the Spending Review settlement, the government is delivering the biggest boost to England’s transport infrastructure in a generation, and unlocking schemes that deliver for the taxpayer and drive growth
- wave of projects set to ease congestion, cut journey times and bring greater access to jobs and opportunities, making working people better off
Millions of commuters and businesses are set to benefit from quicker journeys, as more than 50 road and rail upgrades are given the green light – including the long awaited A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route and Portishead to Bristol city centre rail line, the government has announced today (8 July 2025).

Working people will also gain better access to jobs and housing through these schemes, helping deliver the Plan for Change (https://www.gov.uk/missions/economic-growth) to build strong foundations and kick-start economic growth, made possible by the government’s investment unlocked in last month’s Spending Review (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document).

Five major road schemes in the north and Midlands are confirmed as funded including the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire, which will cut journey times and connect thousands to key economic hubs across the Midlands.

The M60/M62/M66 Simister Island (Greater Manchester), connecting to developments which could support 20,000 new jobs and 7,000 new homes if planning approval granted, has also been confirmed as funded, alongside the A38 Derby Junctions (Derby) which will support 15,400 new homes and A46 Newark Bypass in Nottinghamshire, which could support thousands of new jobs and homes, if planning approval is granted.

The long awaited A66 Northern Trans-Pennine will also be delivered and will cut journey times across the north, support over 10,000 new homes and connect millions across the region as a key national and international economic route.

The government is also announcing key rail projects across the country, including reinstating a passenger rail line between Bristol city centre and Portishead, which last ran over 60 years ago, delivering 3 brand new train stations, bringing thousands more people closer to a railway and funding a Midlands Rail Hub, creating brand new rail links for more than 50 locations.

Rail investment outside of London and the South East is long overdue, which is why the government is confirming additional funding right across England and Wales, which will improve access to jobs and leisure and stimulate housing growth in the regions.

Interactive map of road and rail investment schemes (https://maps.dft.gov.uk/road-and-rail-investment-spending-review-2025/index.html)

List of road and rail investment schemes (#list-of-road-and-rail-investment-schemes)

Transforming the UK’s road and rail networks (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/transforming-the-uks-road-and-rail-networks), oral statement to Parliament, 8 July 2025

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

Roads and railways are the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayer’s money where it matters most and making every day journeys easier.

With over £92 billion investment, including the biggest ever boost for city regions in the north and Midlands, we’re delivering the schemes that fast-track economic growth and jobs, connect communities, and will help us build 1.5 million new homes, as we deliver our Plan for Change.

We’re forging ahead with the vital new transport infrastructure Britain needs, and improving what we’ve already got, to deliver a new era of renewal and opportunity.

Over 42,000 new jobs and 39,000 new homes are estimated to be supported thanks to the funding committed for major road schemes, helping deliver the government’s Plan for Change to boost economic growth, and build 1.5 million more houses over 5 years.

Journey times will be slashed, saving commuters, businesses, and freight thousands of hours every week, and boosting economic growth across the whole country.

These new infrastructure commitments are backed by £92 billion of government funding to invest in more projects across England, including record levels of funding for upgrading our road and rail networks, extending the £3 bus cap (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/3-national-bus-fare-cap), providing £1 billion to enhance the local road network and create a new structures fund.

To support local journeys, the government is also committing support to continue 28 local road schemes vital to connecting and growing communities. These schemes, which include the Middlewich Eastern Bypass and A382 Drumbridges to Newton Abbot schemes, are not motorways or trunk A-roads, but junctions, bypasses and traffic-easing projects which will improve millions of congested commutes and unlock further housing and jobs.

Of the £92.8 billion, the Chancellor has already announced £10.2 billion for rail enhancements, improving connectivity and unlocking growth in key areas of the UK, which have for too long struggled with unreliable, infrequent services. This also includes £24 billion for motorways, trunk roads and local roads across the country.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

These vital investments are long overdue, will transform local communities and improve living standards across the country.

Investments like these are only possible because we took the right decisions to stabilise our public finances and changed the fiscal rules so we can invest in Britain’s renewal, grow the economy and put more money in working people’s pockets.

In addition, the government is investing a further £27 million to reinstate passenger rail services between Portishead and Bristol city centre. The new hourly services will connect an additional 50,000 people to the rail network and support a significant new housing development.

Two new stations, Wellington and Cullompton, have been given the green light in the south-west of England, unlocking significant new housing developments and providing more chances for people to access Exeter to visit loved ones and benefit from increased leisure, education and employment opportunities. Similarly, a new station at Haxby will now be delivered, bringing an additional 20,000 people within 3 kilometres of the railway, providing easy access to the regional centres of York and Leeds.

The Midlands is also set to see a huge improvement to its rail services. The new Midlands Rail Hub will be the region’s biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme to date. Significant government funding will mean huge numbers of additional trains and extra seats can be added to the rail network in and out of Birmingham every single day. This will support new homes and create greener growth across the Midlands while providing faster, more frequent and brand new rail links for more than 50 locations and creating almost 13,000 construction jobs.

Investment will also benefit existing rail users. The East Coast Main Line, which runs the length of the country, is already benefiting from an increase to capacity and frequency and will also receive new, upgraded digital signalling, boosting capability and resilience of the line, and reducing delays by one third. This rollout will support new digital skills in the rail sector and the creation of 4,800 new roles across the supply chain.

This continued funding for rail schemes up and down the country will open up access to jobs, grow the economy and drive up quality of life as the Plan for Change is delivered.

Logistics UK Head of Infrastructure and Planning Policy Jonathan Walker said:

The schemes announced today are significant upgrades to national infrastructure and when complete will make supply chains more resilient and boost trade by keeping goods moving as efficiently as possible.

80% of UK freight travels on roads at some point on its journey to the end user and congestion increases costs and makes journey planning highly unpredictable.

An efficient national logistics network is critical to enable business to drive growth across the whole economy and ensures that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.

John Foster, Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, CBI said:

Improving transport connectivity is key to unlocking the productivity gains needed to deliver sustainable growth across the country. When businesses can move people, goods, and services more efficiently, it helps them to reach new markets faster and attract the talent they need to grow. Today’s announcement is a welcome step forward and builds on a strong series of planning reforms aimed at delivering the long-term infrastructure the UK economy needs.

List of road and rail investment schemes

Major Road Network (MRN)/Large Local Major Programme (LLM) schemes – funding confirmed

MRN/LLM schemes – under consideration

Strategic Road Network (SRN) schemes – funding confirmed

SRN – cancellations
- A12 (Chelmsford to A120) improvement
- A47 Wansford to Sutton
Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP) schemes – funding confirmed

Rail schemes – under consideration

Rail Access for All feasibility studies
- Aigburth
- Ash Vale
- Battle
- Bellgrove
- Bodmin Parkway
- Bredbury
- Bushey
- Castle Cary
- Chinley
- Church and Oswaldtwistle
- Colchester North
- Dalston Kingsland
- Dorchester South
- Dudley Port
- Dumbarton Central
- Esher
- Falkirk Grahamston
- Flowery Field
- Gunnersbury
- Hedge End
- High Brooms
- Inverurie
- Kew Bridge
- Kidbrooke
- Leagrave
- Ledbury
- Maidstone West
- Marden
- Neath
- Newton for Hyde
- Port Sunlight
- Raynes Park
- Rock Ferry
- Ruabon
- Shotton
- Sileby
- Sleaford
- Small Heath
- South Croydon
- Stamford
- Stroud
- Swanwick
- Thirsk
- Ulverston
- Upminster
- Walton
- Whitchurch (Shropshire)
- Wivelsfield
- Wymondham
- Yeovil Junction
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