How major rail routes in Britain can take even longer than driving

Northern rail links are so dire it can be quicker to drive between cities.

An audit of busy rail routes shows just how badly passengers are served in the North – unless they want to get to London.

Analysis of typical journey times shows it is often faster or almost as quick to drive than to take the train between Manchester and Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, Sheffield and Hull, Sheffield and Leeds, Hull and Leeds and Newcastle and Leeds.

In contrast, it is between one and two hours quicker to take the train between London and Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield respectively.

This assumes both that the train is not delayed or cancelled and that traffic is not unusually heavy.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a review of HS2 this week, having already vowed to build a new generation of northern rail routes to address the North-South divide in transport links. 

This includes a multi-billion-pound rail link between Manchester and Leeds, which promises to slash journey times.

For those who have to travel between the two cities, this link cannot come soon enough. 

Analysis by the House of Lords economic affairs committee in a critical report on HS2, pointed out that a train journey between Manchester and Leeds typically takes between 46 and 58 minutes. 

In contrast, it is between one and two hours quicker to take the train between London and Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield respectively. Stock picture

By car, it takes just under an hour – 57 minutes – to cover the 45 miles on the M62, according to Google Maps.

It’s a similar situation between Liverpool and Manchester, with the train taking up to 57 minutes to complete a journey of little over thirty miles. 

Driving takes 58 minutes to cover the 34 miles via the M62.

Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, has previously pointed out that it is also quicker to take the Eurostar from London to Paris – two hours and 16 minutes – than travel by train from Manchester to Newcastle, which takes two hours and 30 minutes.

Mr Johnson’s pledge to improve northern rail links is in stark contrast with his reticence over HS2, which will connect London to northern cities via Birmingham.

He is reported to have expressed interest in building the second leg of the line, linking Birmingham with cities including Manchester, Crewe and Leeds, first.