Northern Powerhouse Rail
Train at platform
Client
Network Rail
Sector
Infrastructures
How we helped
Transport
Statistics
NPR, if delivered, will be the region’s single biggest transport investment since the Industrial Revolution
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Ben Thomas
Partner, Infrastructures
0113 203 1077 Email me About Ben
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Ben's role is providing land assembly services for infrastructure and regeneration projects, either through private treaty negotiations or if necessary through Compulsory Purchase Powers. He assists acquiring authorities promote and implement Compulsory Purchase Orders, including negotiating claims with affected parties whilst assisting authorities create and maintain realistic property cost estimates.Ben qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in November 2013 following past roles as a Compulsory Purchase Surveyor as well as working in property management and as a commercial agent. He has therefore gained a wide breadth of experience, but his specific expertise is in compulsory purchase and compensation.

Since 2018 Carter Jonas has been instructed by Network Rail to provide property expertise on the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) Project. The instruction includes estimates of the likely compulsory purchase compensation for various upgrades being considered, strategic property input to the option selection process and identifying risks and opportunities at this early stage of the project.

NPR is a major strategic rail programme, specifically designed to support the transformation of the North’s economy by providing effective and efficient rail connectivity between the North’s major economic centres, offering a faster and more reliable service across the entire region.

In particular, the project aims to radically improve connectivity between the major cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle, and with Manchester Airport. Featuring new and significantly upgraded railway lines, it will be the region’s single biggest transport investment since the Industrial Revolution.

To complete the work, Carter Jonas has created an interactive mapping system for the Client. This includes details as to the estimated costs for land parcels for each option, enabling improved optioneering and decision-making.

Over the course of our instruction, Carter Jonas has worked in close partnership with Network Rail’s appointed engineering advisors and provided specialist property advice into the project meetings throughout all stages, based on the estimated cost of acquisition together with potential compensation that would be due to affected parties based on the compensation code.

Railway map