Where next for the north-west rail network?

Since 2012, there has been very significant progress with the north-west rail network's Northern Hub project and the long-overdue modernization of the wider regional network. Looking back over the decades, progress has sometimes been agonizingly slow; but at long last, by the end of 2018 Manchester's rail network will have significantly altered for the better, with the Ordsall Chord open for traffic and electric services operating from Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly via Bolton to Blackpool. The imperative is therefore to think through the long-term strategy and then parcel all plans up into digestible stages that will make standalone sense in terms of funding streams and operational commissioning, to bring vital regional and national economic benefits as early as possible.