The Department has not yet set out how Northern Powerhouse Rail will work alongside national and local transport plans and priorities. The government intends for Northern Powerhouse Rail to support future work to improve north-south connections on the West Coast Main Line into Manchester. We have previously heard this line will reach capacity by the 2030s, but the Department does not expect the relevant phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail to be complete until the mid-2040s. It is not clear how the Department plans to bridge this gap between the capacity requirements and the programme timelines. The Department must also ensure that local transport plans are well integrated across the Northern Powerhouse 5 Rail route as a whole – this will be key to a successful transport system for passengers. The Department is working individually with local areas to ensure Northern Powerhouse Rail joins up with local plans, but it is not clear how the Department is ensuring coherence across the whole route. recommendation The Department should clarify: a. how it will work with local areas to support the development of local transport networks across the route while ensuring they integrate with the Northern Powerhouse Rail plans; and b. how Northern Powerhouse Rail will help it meet the West Coast Main Line’s capacity requirements.