A consortium of private and public bodies have submitted a bid to the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) for £8.8 million to reinstate 500 metres of rail track to connect Burnley and Manchester via the Todmorden Curve.

This affordable rail link would unlock a further £100 million investment in a 3.9 hectare Weavers’ Triangle development generating in total £30+ million GVA each year and safeguarding or creating 816 jobs.

Submitted by Barnfield Investment Properties, Barnfield Developments, Development Securities, Network Rail and Burnley Borough Council the bid is entitled the Todmorden Curve and Weavers’ Triangle and is of importance both to Burnley and Manchester.

“The direct ‘new jobs’ benefits of this investment are concentrated in Burnley; however, there is clearly great advantage to the Greater Manchester economy from the widening of our own labour market through this new connectivity. In the past twenty years we have seen an increasing number of city centre jobs in Manchester being taken by rail commuters from areas to the north of the city. The lack of a direct rail service has led to Burnley being excluded from many of the benefits of these structural changes.”

 Mike Blackburn.
Vice President. Strategy and Planning.
BT Global Services

To support Burnley’s bid a prospectus and video have been developed both of which are available to download below:

Burnley – RGF Prosectus