Airport boss says Government commitment to a better-connected North is key to making sure people feel the benefits of economic growth

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe has welcomed the Government’s commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail said it will turbocharge the benefits of the gateway’s trophy long haul routes and historic £1.3bn investment.

Pointing to data published as part of Manchester Airport’s parent company MAG’s Trade Barometer project that shows a gap in business confidence between the North and the south, he said while he can see reasons for economic optimism, it won’t be until the North is better connected that we feel the real benefits.

Mr Woodroofe said while in some respects people in the North are better connected than ever – particularly through Manchester Airport’s ever-expanding route network for more than 200 destinations – rail connectivity is still stuck in the past.

He pointed to the fact that at one hour and 24 minutes it now takes longer to get a train from Manchester to Sheffield than it did in the 1970s and that it still takes the same time – just under an hour – to get to Liverpool by rail as it did in the 80s.

He contrasted that with the Randstad region in the Netherlands where people can get from Amsterdam to Rotterdam – a distance of 37 miles, which is about the same as the distance between Manchester and both Liverpool and Sheffield – in just 26 minutes.

He said:

“We want to be sure that the benefits of having an international airport flow to all corners of the North, in the same way they do in London, the Randstad, or any other highly competitive region of the world.

“The Government’s continued commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail is a welcome one. It’s important that we get this right and the mistakes of other rail projects are avoided, but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that it needs to happen as soon as possible.”

You can read Mr Woodroofe’s full piece here and learn more about the findings of MAG’s Trade Barometer here.