“A turn‑up‑and‑go railway.” That’s how Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander framed Northern Powerhouse Rail earlier this month. Today, 22 January 2026, she signed compact agreements with six Northern mayors to get the next stage moving: Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire), Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester), Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire), Kim McGuinness (North East), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region) and David Skaith (York and North Yorkshire). The Department for Transport confirmed the signings and scope in a formal publication. (gov.uk)

The compacts nail down how Whitehall and town halls will take decisions together on design, phasing and funding. They set a three‑part sequence: upgrades and electrification east of the Pennines; a new Liverpool–Manchester line; then further cross‑Pennine links. Ministers restated £1.1bn for development over this Spending Review period and a funding cap of up to £45bn for the full programme. After the HS2 experience, the government says designs and consents will be agreed before shovels hit the ground. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Greater Manchester has secured a formal test of an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly, alongside expectations for local contributions if the city wants higher‑spec solutions, plus contributions towards a Manchester Airport station. A joint Delivery Board of ministers and mayors will steer early decisions, with the first 18 months geared to inform Spending Review 2027. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

In the Liverpool City Region, route options and the choice of a Gateway station will be worked through alongside integration with investment at Liverpool Central. Local top‑ups can be used to back station areas and onward connections where leaders want to go further than the core scheme. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

West Yorkshire’s deal ties NPR to the region’s White Rose plan: a Bradford station business case decision by summer 2026, a single, joined‑up plan for Leeds Station, and assessment work on delivering four fast trains per hour between Sheffield and Leeds. Alignment with West Yorkshire Mass Transit is written in. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

South Yorkshire’s compact points to extra capacity at Sheffield Station and commits to exploring tram‑train interdependencies as part of NPR design. Like West Yorkshire, it references the White Rose work and a target of four fast trains per hour on Sheffield–Leeds, subject to Network Rail’s assessment. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

York and North Yorkshire’s agreement links NPR to the York Central regeneration, calling for a coherent York Station plan to boost capacity and reliability on the East Coast Main Line while improving flows towards Leeds and Manchester. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

For the North East, the documents spell out “turn up and go” frequencies along the corridor with regular services to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham, plus a pathway to reopen the Leamside Line. Phase one-from Tyneside to Washington-is already to be led by the mayor using devolved Transport for City Regions funding, with the rest dependent on a business case and value‑for‑money tests. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Across all six deals, central government remains the main funder, but a blended approach allows local contributions-primarily around stations, onward travel and surrounding development-where leaders want to lift ambition beyond the core. That keeps pressure off wider transport budgets while giving city‑regions room to back the bits that unlock growth. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Timelines matter. Ministers say the first phase-upgrades east of the Pennines-lands in the 2030s; the third phase, adding extra cross‑Pennine capacity, runs into the 2040s. As Alexander told MPs, NPR is intended to “end the hour‑long waits” if you miss a train. The proof now sits in design choices, early works and whether those Delivery Boards can keep momentum. We’ll be tracking each milestone. (gov.uk)