The UK Government has allocated £300m in the national budget for the proposed Crossrail 2 project and High Speed 3 (HS3).
The investment follows recommendations by the new National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) to back these two projects. The decision will see the government investing £80m to fund the development of Crossrail 2.
The UK will allot £60m for a fast rail link between Manchester and Leeds, the HS3, integrating it with High Speed 2 (HS2).
In addition, the budget will cover the provision for the redevelopment of the north’s gateway stations.
UK NIC interim chair Andrew Adonis said: "The National Infrastructure Commission was established to transform the way we plan and deliver major infrastructure projects.
"I am glad that the government has accepted our first three reports.
"Putting HS3 at the heart of a new high speed north can help bring our great northern cities together and fire growth, and Crossrail 2 is vital to keep more than ten million Londoners moving in the 2030s.
"A smart power revolution across our energy sector, principally built around three innovations, interconnection, storage, and demand flexibility, could save consumers up to £8bn a year by 2030, help the UK meet its 2050 carbon targets, and secure the UK’s energy supply for generations."
The proposed Crossrail 2 is designed to provide a new central London artery connecting the suburban railway network in the southwest to lines in the northeast via a brand new tunnel from Wimbledon to Tottenham Hale.
The new line will relieve and strengthen major suburban and underground lines, as well as a string of Network Rail’s busiest stations, while opening up new areas for housing and regeneration.
