The LTP will lay the transport foundations to support business growth and attract investment. By improving connections to jobs, education, markets, supply chains and development sites, we’ll unleash our economic potential across the sub-region. Lancashire’s Central Belt is evolving into a super corridor of innovation, connectivity and inclusive growth, linking people, places and potential across the county.
The evidence in our Green Paper demonstrated that poor transport connections can create barriers for growing businesses and prevent residents from accessing good jobs and essential services. There are long journey times from many areas to our key centres. By improving connectivity, we can reduce costs to businesses, increase our ability to attract talent, and accelerate the spread of innovations between businesses. This will also support growth in business space, housing, and improve access to job opportunities, unlocking the delivery of our growth sites. Investment in wider pan-north transport links with neighbouring regions will also support growth across the wider region.
| Connecting Lancashire policies | Stronger | Fairer | Sustainable | Cross-cutting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL1: Enable the delivery of strategic growth sites | Strongest alignment | Strong alignment | Strong alignment | No alignment |
| CL2: Transform east-west public transport through the Central Belt | Strongest alignment | Strong alignment | Strong alignment | No alignment |
| CL3: Improve public transport connections with neighbouring regions | Strongest alignment | Strong alignment | Strong alignment | Strong alignment |
| CL4: Improve reliability of strategic and major roads for all modes of transport | Strongest alignment | Strong alignment | Alignment | No alignment |
| CL5: Explore new or expanded heavy rail and mass transit networks | Strongest alignment | Strong alignment | Strong alignment | No alignment |
| CL6: Improve high-speed broadband, especially in rural areas | Strong alignment | Strongest alignment | Strongest alignment | No alignment |
Enable the delivery of strategic growth sites (Policy CL1)
We will work with partners to ensure that strategic growth sites (as set out in the Growth Plan and relevant Development Plans) are appropriately located, accessible and supported by suitable transport evidence. We will deliver multi-modal transport infrastructure investment to support strategic growth sites, leveraging developer and national funding where required.
The Lancashire Growth Plan identifies strategic growth sites that are key to achieving our economic growth ambitions. Transport will play a key role in enabling the anchor and complementary strategic sites set out in our Growth Plan, such as Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, Heysham Gateway, Blackburn Growth Axis and Eden Project Morecambe. Sites also include major development opportunities in our town and city centres; the Enterprise Zones, focused on our strategic sectors; and a pipeline of signature Lancashire projects. The Spatial Development Strategy and Local Plans across the county will identify further strategic growth allocations.
Through this policy, we will ensure that we create the right conditions for growth, unlocking new development and employment opportunities, and attracting inward investment across Lancashire. Our strategic developments will be based on a clear vision of how we want networks and places to be in the future, paving the way to a sustainable future for Lancashire, that works for everyone. Transport issues for strategic development sites will be fully considered at the relevant plan-making stages, through our Spatial Development Strategy and Local Plans, to maximise the sustainability of future sites.
We will drive substantial transport upgrades at key development sites to make sure they can accommodate growth, such as park and ride, rail, bus and cycle access.
Transform east-west public transport through the Central Belt (Policy CL2)
We will work with partners to prioritise and transform public transport linkages throughout the Central Belt, making it much easier to travel between settlements and across the entire corridor, increasing access to opportunities such as work, training, healthcare and leisure.
East-west improvements will unlock productivity, join currently disconnected labour markets, and support educational access and innovation assets along the corridor. There are many well-established north-south links, for example Preston-Bolton-Manchester. But the east-west links connecting Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley and Colne are much poorer. Poor connectivity is holding back our economy, and a lack of transport choices creates social isolation
Measures delivered as part of this policy will help to unleash the Central Belt’s potential as a super corridor of well-connected communities, innovation assets, further and higher education institutions, economic clusters, and strategic development opportunities for new private investment.
Rail improvements will also be essential in supporting freight movements and connecting with other transformational rail upgrades, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, contributing to a more competitive Lancashire
To achieve this, we will need to unlock regional and national funding, and work closely with businesses and our delivery and operational partners.
We are committed to producing a new Lancashire Rail Strategy to underpin the development and prioritisation of rail schemes, and ensure there is robust evidence in place.
Case study - Preston to Blackpool North electrification
In January 2018, as part of the Great North Rail Project, the electrification of the 17km Preston to Blackpool North line was completed. Alongside rail electrification, additional improvements included platform extensions, and step-free access provision at Kirkham and Wesham station. This electrification allowed for faster and more reliable services between Blackpool North and Preston, with over 300,000 journeys recorded between the two stations from April 2024 to March 2025. In addition, the electrification allowed for direct services along the West Coast Mainline to destinations such as Birmingham and London.
Improve public transport connections with neighbouring regions (Policy CL3)
We will boost Lancashire’s strategic position by working closely with neighbouring regions to improve our cross-border connections. We will strengthen our key transport corridors which link us to Liverpool City Region, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire to support economic growth and broaden our travel horizons.
Lancashire is a major part of the Northwest economy, and we are seeking to develop economic linkages with our neighbours.
Many of our towns have existing economic links to places outside of Lancashire.
For example:
- Ormskirk has strong interactions with Liverpool City Region
- Chorley, Blackburn with Darwen, West Lancashire, Rossendale and South Ribble with areas in Greater Manchester
- Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale with areas in Calderdale and Bradford, West Yorkshire
- Carnforth with the southern part of Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria
Through close and proactive collaboration with neighbouring regions and partners, our ambition is to improve bus and rail links to capitalise on these strategic connections and continue to broaden our travel horizons. This will create stronger economic links, open up new opportunities, attract tourism and investment, and reduce economic isolation for communities and towns.
Case study - Todmorden Curve railway reinstatement
In 2015, the Todmorden Curve was reinstated providing direct passenger rail services between Burnley and Manchester for the first time in 40 years. This transformative project cut journey times between Manchester and Burnley by 25 minutes and continues to provide a crucial link between East Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Improve reliability of strategic and major roads for all modes of transport (Policy CL4)
We will work closely with National Highways and Local Highway Authorities to ensure that Lancashire’s strategic and major road networks are efficient and reliable for our residents, businesses and visitors. By tackling congestion hotspots, we will support the efficient movement of goods and people across our county.
We rely on our motorway and major road networks for many journeys in and through Lancashire: whether travelling for work, healthcare and leisure, or for transporting goods, supporting supply chains, and accommodating tourism.
In 2023, an estimated 8.6 million motorised vehicles travelled on our motorways and A-roads every day, of which 21% were light or heavy goods vehicles. These strategic routes are central to maintaining and securing our future competitiveness on both the national and international stage, enabling our businesses to flourish and attracting further investment.
As our key north-south route, the M6 does not always meet the needs of our residents, visitors and businesses and, without intervention, the issues are likely to worsen. There are also issues on the M55, M61, M65, A6, A56/M66, and A585, and growing pressures on the motorway junctions in the Central Belt: around Preston and on the M65. Reduced reliability on our roads could add cost pressures and further constrain the competitiveness of many of our businesses, which operate across national and international supply chains.
It is therefore essential to our communities and our growing economy that our strategic road network delivers more reliable journeys in the future.
Improvements to public transport and active travel infrastructure, whether on or off our road network, can also help to relieve congestion by providing viable alternatives.
We are committed to developing a Key Route Network Strategy to identify the most important local roads which support movement across Lancashire. It will determine where targeted investment could best improve these routes, adopting a multi modal approach in all cases. This will assist in the development of future schemes.
Case study - Bay Gateway
In 2016, the Bay Gateway was opened to traffic. The scheme sought to provide a direct connection between Heysham and Morecambe, and the M6. Key outcomes for the new link road were improved access to Heysham Port and diverting traffic from key pinch points in Lancaster (such as the bridges over the River Lune).
Explore new or expanded heavy rail and mass transit networks (Policy CL5)
We will work with Network Rail, Great British Railways, transport operators and other partners to provide strategic upgrades to our rail network and Superbus corridors and explore opportunities for light rail expansion. These upgrades will improve service reliability and frequency, and bring new opportunities for people who live, work, visit and transport goods in Lancashire.
Rail connectivity is an exciting opportunity: over 50% of our population already live within two miles of the rail line between Blackpool North and Colne. Cities such as Preston and Lancaster are also strategically located on the West Coast Main Line, connecting Lancashire with Scotland, the Midlands, and London. Rail, light rail and mass transit networks are essential in supporting access to higher value jobs (especially in defence, digital, energy and manufacturing) and skills.
However, substantial improvements are required to expand our rail network and bring the quality of our station environments and service reliability up to standard on our east-west Central Belt as well as on our key north-south corridors. Improving rail connectivity will also support freight movements, helping to make Lancashire a more attractive place to do business
Superbuses and trams are also a key part of our ambition for urban and interurban transport to allow for high capacity and reliable journeys, both between and in major population and growth centres, as well as for visitor trips.
Our existing Superbus corridors provide ‘turn up and go’ services on some key routes, and our ambition is to substantially expand this network.
Building on the success of the 2024 Blackpool North tramway extension, we will also explore opportunities to further enhance and expand our light rail network and public transport routes, including on the Fylde Coast.
As noted in Policy CL2, the development of a new Lancashire Rail Strategy will be a crucial step towards unlocking rail and interchange improvements.
Case Study - Blackpool tramway extension to the railway station
In June 2024, the Blackpool North Tramway extension was opened, enhancing connectivity for commuters and tourists by integrating with existing bus and rail services. It connects the North Fylde peninsula to the national rail network and improves access to Blackpool’s seafront. The service has seen high usage, especially during the summer and the Illuminations period, offers integrated ‘PlusBus’ tickets, and provides regular connections to Fylde Coast destinations.
Improve high-speed broadband, especially in rural areas (Policy CL6)
We will support the continued rollout of broadband and digital connectivity across Lancashire to provide equitable and reliable access to the internet, new technologies and digital services.
Digital connectivity is becoming increasingly important for people to access services, employment, education, leisure and business. Broadband speeds in Lancashire are highly variable. There are pronounced issues in many of our more rural areas, primarily in the Rural North and Connected South areas, including in Ribble Valley and Pendle, to the south of Lancaster, across West Lancashire, in Rossendale and in Blackburn with Darwen.
This policy will help to make sure that no business or resident is left behind digitally and bring services closer to people at higher risk of isolation, such as residents in more rural areas or people who are unable to travel.
Accessing some facilities or opportunities online may also mean that some trips can be shortened, made less frequently or at times to avoid the worst traffic, reducing pressure on our roads.
The rollout of high-speed connectivity also provides opportunities for the implementation of data-driven solutions and technologies in transport. This policy will help to provide the foundations to support our future-ready networks workstream.
Digital connectivity will be a key theme in our forthcoming Resilience Strategy. We will work closely with BT and our other key partners to coordinate improved broadband and mobile coverage in vulnerable areas.