S5E04: Northern Powerhouse Rail: the choices that will shape delivery

S5E04: Northern Powerhouse Rail: the choices that will shape delivery

From Talking Infrastructure by AECOM

May 21, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the critical choices facing the Northern Powerhouse Rail project and how to turn ambition into delivery.

Welcome to season 5 of AECOM’s Talking Infrastructure podcast. Talking Infrastructure delves into the industry’s hot topics, key projects, and the ground-breaking innovations that are helping to solve some of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges. Northern Powerhouse Rail: the choices that will shape delivery Northern Powerhouse Rail – a new rail network set to be the region’s largest transport investment since the Industrial Revolution, has long been a defining ambition for the North of England. The question now is how to turn that ambition into delivery. With the next 18 months under the spotlight, attention is turning to the decisions that will shape how NPR progresses, and how widely its benefits can be felt. What will it take to unlock growth across city regions? Where should investment be prioritised? And how can progress in scheme development help build the confidence needed to move towards construction? In this special episode of Talking Infrastructure, recorded at UKREiiF, host Toby Sadler leads a discussion with Gordon Kells (Chief Operating Officer, Transpennine Route Upgrade), Lola McEvoy MP, (Darlington, Labour Party), Rosario Barcena (Rail Programme…

People in this episode

Host: Toby Sadler

Guests: Gordon Kells, Lola McEvoy MP, Rosario Barcena, Megan Knights

Topics covered

  • Northern Powerhouse Rail
  • transport investment
  • infrastructure challenges
  • city regions
  • investment priorities
  • scheme development

Keywords

  • Northern Powerhouse Rail
  • transport investment
  • infrastructure
  • city regions
  • funding
  • construction
  • economic growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Transpennine Route Upgrade, Labour Party, Skanska, AECOM

Places: North of England

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