122-557: The Transpennine Route Upgrade ( TRU ) is a major investment being made in the railway between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield in the north of England. It is the 76 miles (122 km) northern route over the Pennines , most of which is also known as the Huddersfield line . As of 2024, the line is heavily used but is slow and lacks capacity. It has Victorian infrastructure, covers difficult terrain including
244-586: A Levelling up policy to address the North–South divide as part of a broader objective. All of the above factors mean the Transpennine Route Upgrade is high on the political agenda for all parties. In March 2021, Parliament's Transport Select Committee published a report in the series of Trains Fit for the Future enquiry. It recommended a rolling programme of electrification. There was also
366-472: A non-metropolitan district in the county of North Yorkshire, whilst retaining its Lord Mayor and its Sheriff. As a result of 1990s UK local government reform , York regained unitary status and saw a substantial alteration in its borders, taking in parts of Selby and Harrogate districts, and about half the population of the Ryedale district. The new boundary was imposed after central government rejected
488-682: A Freedom of Information Request uncovered by The Northern Agenda newsletter revealed that the government-operated TransPennine Express spent almost £2 million securing advertising for the delayed TRU programme in 2022/23. Although the overall project completion date may be as late as 2041, some benefits should be felt in late 2024 or early 2025 when electric trains are due to run over the improved track layout between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge (Projects W1/W2a), and bi-mode trains will be able to use electric traction between Church Fenton and York (Project E1). Benefits will also be available for users between Lancashire and Yorkshire from improvements to
610-508: A call for the Department for Transport (DfT) to publish without delay a list of “no regret” electrification schemes, and then for the industry to act on them. The report also reached the mainstream media with headlines of “MPs call for a rolling programme of electrification”. The initial proposal in the 21st century was to electrify the line from Manchester Victoria to Leeds via Huddersfield, with some infill schemes around Manchester. This
732-588: A compound constructed. Network Rail said that there would be significant disruption over at least a five year period. However, in an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 (TWAO) published in March 2021, it was said that work on some of the scheme would extend beyond 2029 i.e. into a later Network Rail Control Periods , CP8. A total blockade took place on the route between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge and Rochdale between 31 July and 15 August 2021. This work
854-478: A major railway centre by the late 19th century. The introduction of the railways established engineering in the city. At the turn of the 20th century, the railway accommodated the headquarters and works of the North Eastern Railway , which employed more than 5,500 people. The railway was instrumental in the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works . It was founded in 1862 by Henry Isaac Rowntree, who
976-537: A major railway network hub and confectionery manufacturing centre. In the Second World War , part of the Baedeker Blitz bombed the city. Although York was less targeted during the war than other, more industrialised northern cities, several historic buildings were gutted and restoration took place up until the 1960s. Historic local governance of the city was as a county corporate , not included in
1098-582: A palace for the King to stay in while he visited York on his Royal Tour. Anne of Denmark came to York with her children Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth on 11 June 1603. The Mayor gave her a tour and offered her spiced wine , but she preferred beer. Guy Fawkes , who was born and educated in York, was a member of a group of Roman Catholic restorationists that planned the Gunpowder Plot . Its aim
1220-525: A recorded population of 141,685 in 2021 . The city was founded under the name of Eboracum in 71 AD. It then became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior , and later of the kingdoms of Deira , Northumbria , and Scandinavian York . In the Middle Ages , it became the northern England ecclesiastical province 's centre, and grew as a wool-trading centre. In the 19th century, it became
1342-512: A total of 23 stations including the Grade I listed Huddersfield station , and major viaducts at Dewsbury, Batley , Milnsbridge and Huddersfield . Nine structures along the route require listed building approval. The planned upgrade of the 8-mile (13 km) section between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury) is of particular significance. It is the best place on the route to provide a facility for fast trains to overtake slower ones, by increasing
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#17327801913521464-535: A visit to Leeds on 2 March 2018, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the upgrade would continue. As of 2021, ten years after the Autumn Statement announcement, the line was still being upgraded in stages. It has been stated that the delays are due to political dithering. In 2021, considerable work was done in the Miles Platting area, to pave the way for wires all the way to Stalybridge, with
1586-815: A visit to the newly built Bullring Shopping Centre in 2003. At different times, MPs representing constituencies in Manchester and Glasgow have spoken out in support of their respective cities' claims: However, in 2007, Phil Woolas MP for the constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth , former Minister of State for the Environment, appeared to concede the second city title to Birmingham, remarking: "And, of course, I, and colleagues in Manchester, am pleased to see its very sensible plans to relocate to Manchester – Britain's third city." Most recently, MP for Solihull , Julian Knight conceded that people see Manchester as England's second city but argued that "Birmingham
1708-601: Is Councillor David Carr, and the Sheriff is Suzie Mercer. York Youth Council consists of several young people who negotiate with the councillors to get better facilities for York's young people, and who also elect York's Member of Youth Parliament . The results of the 2023 City of York Council election saw the Conservative Party with three councillors, the Liberal Democrats with 19 councillors,
1830-532: Is a unitary authority that operates on a leader and cabinet style of governance, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The city council consists of 47 councillors representing 21 wards , with one, two or three per ward serving four-year terms. Its headquarters are at
1952-473: Is a Grade I listed building, a special design was submitted that precludes the use of headspan overhead line gantries and uses a bespoke design. The planning application to Kirklees council shows total closure of the station for two 32-day periods from April to May 2024 and also April to May 2025. York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire , England , with Roman origins , sited at
2074-711: Is called Eabhraig in Scottish Gaelic and Eabhrac in Irish, derived from the Latin name. The Latin Eboracum became Anglian Eoforwic in the 7th century: a compound of Eofor- , from the old name, and -wic , meaning "village", probably by conflation of the element Ebor- with a Germanic root * eburaz ('boar'); by the 7th century, the Old English for 'boar' had become eofor . When
2196-453: Is claimed to be the biggest infrastructure project in the UK. It consists of a succession of sub-projects designed to give incremental benefits to rail users over a period of time, with an anticipated overall completion date of between 2036 and 2041. Following completion of the upgrade trains will be able to run at top speeds of 125 mph (201 km/h). In Manchester, the project interfaces with
2318-423: Is derived from Brittonic Eburākon "place of yew trees", from eburos " yew tree " (compare Welsh efwr , Breton evor , "alder, buckthorn"; Old Irish ibar , Irish iobhar , iubhar , iúr , Scottish Gaelic iubhar ) + *-āko(n) , a suffix of appurtenance meaning "belonging to", or "place of" (compare Welsh -og ). However, Eburos ( Eβουρος , Eburus , Eburius )
2440-519: Is planned to upgrade the signalling, to increase tracks from two to four in places, and to implement other track changes and renewals that improve line speed and hence give shorter journey times. Parts of the cost of upgrading have been quoted at £2.9 billion and £3.1 billion in total. In 2021, the government allocated £589 million of funding for the section between Leeds and Huddersfield. The route has 285 overbridges and 6 miles (9.7 km) of tunnels including Standedge Tunnel. There are
2562-660: Is seeking the reopening of the 12-mile (19 km) railway line that used to run between the Lancashire town of Colne and the Yorkshire town of Skipton . This could provide an additional transpennine route for both a commuter service and a relief transpennine freight route. Since the rejection of Northern Powerhouse Rail 's aspiration for a new high speed line within Yorkshire , it has been questioned whether an upgraded Huddersfield line will provide sufficient capacity for
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#17327801913522684-599: Is the M62 motorway, which provides the most practical route for heavy goods vehicles and other commercial traffic between Manchester and Leeds. However, the section between junctions 18 and 29 through Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire has been identified as one of the most congested roads in Britain. Three of the five largest metro areas in England that contain a significant number of warehouses requiring deliveries to and from
2806-461: Is the arbitrary nature of the metropolitan county boundaries , which were drawn up in the early-1970s as administrative divisions and do not necessarily reflect the present state of either conurbation. A second drawback is the implication that each county is, in itself, homogeneous, thus ignoring the sensitivities of the distinct settlements which fall within the boundaries of the county but may not identify strongly with its principal city, for example
2928-663: Is the largest city in Yorkshire, and forms the main area of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough . It is the central city of the Leeds City Region which has a population of over 3 million, making it the second most populated metropolitan city region in the United Kingdom, behind Greater London . Manchester is the most-populous city and metropolitan borough in North West England . It lies within
3050-445: Is unofficial and cultural and is often debated in the popular press between Birmingham, Manchester, and other candidates. The United Kingdom has a primate city structure where London significantly surpasses other cities in size and importance and all other cities have much more in common with one another than with the capital, but various cities have held some claim to the title of second city through history. Eboracum ( York ),
3172-574: Is widely accepted that there is a North–South divide in England , with government spending per person on drivers of growth such as transport infrastructure, being far higher in the South-East than the North. London has a directly elected mayor with control over public transport whilst most Northern cities have transport policies decided by Westminster. In 2021, the Conservative government launched
3294-427: Is woefully inadequate. After decades of underfunding, the rail network in the North is not fit for purpose. It is largely twin-track Victorian infrastructure trying to cope with the demands of a 21st Century economy." The leaders of the upgrade held a round table conference November 2022 discussing progress and strategy for keeping disruption to a minimum. In September 2022 Boris Johnson ceased to be Prime Minister of
3416-736: The 2021 United Kingdom census , the City of Birmingham is the most populous local government district (and therefore in terms of population actually the UK’s largest City-proper) with a population of 1.145 million — substantially larger than the City of Manchester , which at 552,000 is only the sixth largest, behind Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Bradford and Sheffield. However, municipal boundaries are problematic for comparing modern cities: many suburbs of Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester fall outside city limits largely drawn up in Victorian times, and
3538-603: The Baltic and exported grain to Gascony and grain and wool to the Low Countries. York became a major cloth manufacturing and trading centre. Edward I further stimulated the city's economy by using the city as a base for his war in Scotland. The city was the location of significant unrest during the so-called Peasants' Revolt in 1381. The city acquired an increasing degree of autonomy from central government including
3660-763: The Bar Convent and the Guildhall which was left in total disrepair until 1960. With the emergence of tourism, the historic core of York became one of the city's major assets, and in 1968 it was designated a conservation area . The existing tourist attractions were supplemented by the establishment of the National Railway Museum in York in 1975, the Jorvik Viking Centre in 1984 and the York Dungeon in 1986. The opening of
3782-622: The Black Country in the West Midlands, or Bolton in Greater Manchester. Relatedly, a third drawback is in the names of the counties themselves: Manchester has been able to leverage the name of its metropolitan county to build a cohesive " place brand ", whereas Birmingham's comparative sphere of influence tends to be hidden within the West Midlands moniker. In an attempt to circumvent the first of these drawbacks,
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3904-594: The Boundary Commission for England recommended the creation of two new seats for the City of York, in time for the general election in 2010 . These are York Central , which covers the inner urban area, and is entirely surrounded by the York Outer constituency. York is within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire and, until 1974, was within the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant of
4026-503: The Council of the North in York in the dissolved St Mary's Abbey. The city became a trading and service centre during this period. King Henry VIII spent a lot of time travelling around the country on official Royal Tours also known as 'progresses' In the year 1541, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard visited the city of York on their royal tour. The Royal Party would have been met outside the walls by civic dignitaries before formally entering
4148-711: The Danish army conquered the city in 866, the name was rendered in Old Norse as Jórvík . The Old French and Norman name of the city following the Norman Conquest was recorded as Everwic (modern Norman Évèroui ) in works such as Wace's Roman de Rou and as Euruic in the Domesday Book . Jórvík , meanwhile, gradually reduced to York in the centuries after the Conquest, moving from
4270-504: The Guildhall and West Offices in the city centre. York is divided into 21 administrative wards: Acomb , Bishopthorpe , Clifton , Copmanthorpe , Dringhouses and Woodthorpe , Fishergate , Fulford and Heslington , Guildhall, Haxby and Wigginton , Heworth , Heworth Without , Holgate , Hull Road, Huntington and New Earswick , Micklegate , Osbaldwick and Derwent , Rawcliffe and Clifton Without , Rural West York , Strensall , Westfield , and Wheldrake . The members of
4392-784: The Humber into Brigantian territory. The city was founded in 71 AD, when the Ninth Legion conquered the Brigantes and constructed a wooden military fortress on flat ground above the River Ouse close to its confluence with the River Foss . The fortress, whose walls were rebuilt in stone by the VI legion based there subsequent to the IX legion, covered an area of 50 acres (20 ha) and
4514-543: The Labour Party had 24 councillors and one Independent. The council went from no overall control in the 2019 election, to being run by the Labour Party holding a majority. York is the traditional county town of Yorkshire , and therefore did not form part of any of its three historic ridings , or divisions. Its Mayor has had the status of Lord Mayor since 1370, one of 23 in England. Only five of these have
4636-514: The Meriden Gap , which separates the City of Coventry from the rest of the West Midlands built-up area. An alternative methodology, based around the concept of primary urban areas , is used by Centre for Cities to publish urban policy research. Primary urban areas are intended to allow economic and social comparisons between cities, using definitions less arbitrary than the administrative boundaries of local authorities, but avoiding some of
4758-548: The Middle English Yerk in the 14th century through Yourke in the 16th century to Yarke in the 17th century. The form York was first recorded in the 13th century. Many company and place names, such as the Ebor race meeting, refer to the Roman name. The Archbishop of York signs his surname as Ebor (abbreviating Eboracensis ). Archaeological evidence suggests that Mesolithic people settled in
4880-605: The Northern Hub . There were up to 50 million passenger journeys per year on this line pre COVID-19 on fast (including TransPennine Express ), semi-fast and stopping trains, as well as freight trains. The existing passenger service is widely accepted as being very unsatisfactory in terms of journey time, frequency, punctuality and level of passenger comfort. At its worst, 15% of passengers had to stand in peak times. The 50-mile (80 km) railway line between Leeds and Manchester links two key population centres. Leeds
5002-820: The University of York in 1963 added to the prosperity of the city. In March 2012, York's Chocolate Story opened. York was voted European Tourism City of the Year by European Cities Marketing in June 2007, beating 130 other European cities to gain first place, surpassing Gothenburg in Sweden (second) and Valencia in Spain (third). York was also voted safest place to visit in the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. In 2018, The Sunday Times deemed York to be its overall 'Best Place to Live' in Britain, highlighting
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5124-428: The county's riding system . The city has since been locally governed as a municipal borough , county borough , and since 1996, a non-metropolitan district (the City of York), which also includes surrounding villages and rural areas, and the town of Haxby . The current district's local council, City of York Council , is responsible for providing all local services and facilities throughout this area. The city's name
5246-465: The restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the removal of the garrison from York in 1688, the city was dominated by the gentry and merchants, although the clergy were still important. Competition from Leeds and Hull , together with silting of the River Ouse, resulted in York losing its pre-eminent position as a trading centre, but its role as the social and cultural centre for wealthy northerners
5368-438: The third most-populous county , at around 2.8 million people. Manchester is often referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom , although this is disputable. York was voted European Tourism City of the Year in June 2007. Linking these population centres together by a low-polluting, low-carbon mode of transport such as electric trains is now seen as both desirable and essential. The equivalent transpennine road link
5490-439: The " Blue Bridge ". In October and November 2000, York experienced the worst flooding in 375 years; more than 300 homes were flooded. In December 2015, the flooding was more extensive and caused major disruption. The extreme impact led to a personal visit by Prime Minister David Cameron . Much land in and around the city is on flood plains too flood-prone for development other than agriculture. The ings are flood meadows along
5612-534: The 18th century, Norwich was the second-largest city of the Kingdom of England , being a major trading centre, Britain's richest provincial city and county town of Norfolk , at that time the most populous county of England. Bristol was the second-wealthiest city in England in the 16th century; and by the 18th century, Bristol was often described as the second city of England. During the 19th century, claims were made for Manchester , Liverpool and York . By
5734-407: The 1960s led to displacement of residents from the city centre to new communities located outside the city boundaries. This, together with local government reorganisation, resulted in the official population of Glasgow falling sharply. The Glasgow City Council area currently has a population of 600,000 although the surrounding conurbation of Greater Glasgow has a population of 1,199,629. In contrast,
5856-626: The 19th century, having come to England as a refugee after serving as a Polish lancer in the Austro-Hungarian war. In 1942, the city was bombed during the Second World War (part of the Baedeker Blitz ) by the German Luftwaffe and 92 people were killed and hundreds injured. Buildings damaged in the raid included the Railway Station , Rowntree's Factory, Poppleton Road Primary School, St Martin-le-Grand Church,
5978-474: The 2006–07 financial year. The city's estimated population in 2019 was 210,620. Having "No Religion" was higher than the national average for York in 2011 and 0.9% lower than having a religion in 2021. Second city of the United Kingdom The second city of the United Kingdom is typically held to be either Birmingham or Manchester , between which the title is disputed. The title
6100-682: The 3-mile (4.8 km) Standedge Tunnel , and has poor access roads. Since the closure of the Woodhead line , there are three remaining transpennine rail lines that connect Lancashire and Yorkshire . To the south of the Huddersfield line is the Hope Valley line which traverses even more difficult terrain including the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) Totley Tunnel , and which in 2021 was allocated £137 million investment to improve capacity and connectivity between Manchester and Sheffield. To
6222-400: The 76,920 households in York, 36.0% were married couples living together, 31.3% were one-person households, 8.7% were co-habiting couples and 8.0% were lone parents. The figures for lone parent households were below the national average of 9.5%, and the percentage of married couples was also close to the national average of 36.5%; the proportion of one person households was slightly higher than
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#17327801913526344-602: The British Isles, the weather is changeable. York experiences most sunshine from May to July, an average of six hours per day. With its inland location, summers are often warmer than the Yorkshire coast with temperatures of 27 °C or more. Extremes recorded at the University of York campus between 1998 and 2010 include a highest temperature of 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) and a lowest temperature of −16.3 °C (2.7 °F) on 6 December 2010. The most rainfall in one day
6466-594: The Calder Valley line via Rochdale and the Hope Valley line to Sheffield, when these are used as diversionary routes because of work on the Huddersfield line. Funding approval for Projects E2/3/4 and W3 is to be sought in 2023. Projects E2/3/4 should lead to reduced journey times between Leeds and Church Fenton, with improvements at Leeds station, electrification and capacity improvements including reduced conflicts from Neville Hill depot . Project W3 concerns
6588-700: The County of York, West Riding and the County of The City of York . The city does retain the right to appoint its own Sheriff. The holder of the Royal dukedom of York has no responsibilities either ceremonially or administratively as regards to the city. York lies in the Vale of York , a flat area of fertile arable land bordered by the Pennines , the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds . The city
6710-462: The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands was published which removed all of the new line in Yorkshire, from the plan. In March 2015, the Chancellor George Osborne announced there would be an additional rolling programme of improvement and electrification to Hull . In July 2012, the UK government announced £4.2 billion of 25 kV AC electrification schemes. The Transpennine Route Upgrade from Manchester to York and Selby via Leeds
6832-520: The Ouse, while the strays are open common grassland in various locations around the city. York has a temperate climate ( Cfb ) with four distinct seasons. As with the rest of the Vale of York, the city's climate is drier and warmer than the rest of the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Owing to its lowland location, York is prone to frosts, fog, and cold winds during winter, spring, and very early summer. Snow can fall in winter from December onwards to as late as April but quickly melts. As with much of
6954-422: The Ravensthorpe vicinity rather than a normal grid feeder station. There are a number of bridges being upgraded and strengthened or otherwise modified as part of the project. In the Manchester area they include the bridge at Dantzic Street in the centre of Manchester. In the Miles Platting area, Queens Road bridge is being modified, as is the Bromley Street subway and also at Oldham Road. In Ashton-under-Lyne in
7076-565: The Southampton Street and Granville Street area, overbridges were raised in April and May 2022. Between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe, twelve bridges will be demolished and replaced, a small number will be adapted, and one will be removed altogether. A consultation has been launched with residents on the plan to close Lady Anne level crossing and Batley signal box as part of the upgrade. Consultations have also been launched on other crossings being considered for closure. These consultations include discussion of environmental mitigation necessity. A TWAO
7198-407: The United Kingdom and was replaced by Liz Truss . In her bid to get that job, she had promised that the Transpennine route upgrade would be delivered in full, with electrification all the way between Liverpool and Hull including a stop in Bradford. However, she was succeeded by Rishi Sunak in October 2022, and his government returned to the position of the Johnson administration. In November 2023,
7320-509: The Venerable Bede. Edwin ordered the small wooden church be rebuilt in stone; however, he was killed in 633, and the task of completing the stone minster fell to his successor Oswald . In the following century, Alcuin of York came to the cathedral school of York. He had a long career as a teacher and scholar, first at the school at York now known as St Peter's School , founded in 627 AD, and later as Charlemagne 's leading advisor on ecclesiastical and educational affairs. In 866, Northumbria
7442-423: The arrival of William the Conqueror the rebellion was put down. William at once built a wooden fortress on a motte. In 1069, after another rebellion, the king built another timbered castle across the River Ouse. These were destroyed in 1069 and rebuilt by William about the time of his ravaging Northumbria in what is called the " Harrying of the North " where he destroyed everything from York to Durham. The remains of
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#17327801913527564-440: The cabinet, led by the Council Leader , makes decisions on their portfolio areas individually. Following the Local Government Act 2000 , the Council Leader commands the confidence of the city council; the leader of the largest political group and head of the City of York Council. The Leader of the council and the cabinet (consisting of all the executive councillors) are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to
7686-409: The city became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes throughout northern Europe. The last ruler of an independent Jórvík, Eric Bloodaxe , was driven from the city in 954 AD by King Eadred in his successful attempt to complete the unification of England. In 1068, two years after the Norman conquest of England , the people of York rebelled. Initially they succeeded, but upon
7808-616: The city council. The current Council Leader, Liberal Democrats ' Cllr Keith Aspden, was appointed on 22 May 2019, following the 2019 City of York Council election . York's first citizen and civic head is the Lord Mayor , who is the chairman of the City of York Council. The appointment is made by the city council each year in May, at the same time appointing the Sheriff, the city's other civic head. The offices of Lord Mayor and Sheriff are purely ceremonial. The Lord Mayor carries out civic and ceremonial duties in addition to chairing full council meetings. The incumbent Lord Mayor since 26 May 2022
7930-417: The city's "perfect mix of heritage and hi-tech" and as a "mini-metropolis with cool cafes, destination restaurants, innovative companies – plus the fastest internet in Britain". The result was confirmed in a YouGov survey, reported in August 2018, with 92% of respondents saying that they liked the city, more than any of 56 other British cities. The City of York is governed by the City of York Council . It
8052-440: The city. The civic dignitary would have been the Lord Mayor of york, who at the time of their arrival on 15 September 1541 was Robert Hall. He owned the residential property at 74 Low Petergate. Following a special service held in their honour at York minster. Henry VIII and Catherine rode from the minster down to Petergate, one of the five gateways, and over to the closed Benedictine abbey of St. Mary which had been converted into
8174-437: The confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss . The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a minster , castle , and city walls . It is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of the wider City of York district. It is located 27 miles (43 km) north-east of Leeds , 90 miles (140 km) south of Newcastle upon Tyne and 207 miles (333 km) north of London . York's built-up area had
8296-451: The conurbation. According to the 2021 census, Greater Manchester had a total population of 2.868 million. This is nonetheless marginally smaller than the equivalent metropolitan county and combined authority of the West Midlands , which comprises the cities of Birmingham, Coventry , Wolverhampton , and four other metropolitan boroughs, with a total combined population of 2.92 million. There are several drawbacks to this approach. The first
8418-423: The early 19th century, Glasgow was frequently referred to as the second city; and during much of the 20th century it had a population of over one million, larger than that of Birmingham until the 1951 census. For example, the Official Census population for Glasgow was 0.784 million in April 1911; 1.034 million in April 1921; 1.088 million in April 1931 and 1.090 million in April 1951. However, slum clearance in
8540-404: The east of Leeds. The TWAO covered the following sections: The scheme was further updated with the section between Stalybridge and Huddersfield being split further at Marsden. Under the order sections W1, W2a, W3, W4, W5 and E1 were permitted to proceed to the design stage. Sections W2b and E2-E4 were permitted to develop further to GRIP 3 status. As part of the upgrade, eleven stations along
8662-468: The economy of the North of England . It would have provided new and significantly upgraded railway lines to transform rail services between the region's towns and cities. The original scheme would have seen a new high-speed rail line from Liverpool to Warrington then joining the HS2 tunnel which it would share into Manchester Piccadilly . From there, the line would have continued via a new through station at Bradford , to Leeds. However, in November 2021
8784-539: The figure as high as 500. The city, through its location on the River Ouse and its proximity to the Great North Road , became a major trading centre. King John granted the city's first charter in 1212, confirming trading rights in England and Europe. During the later Middle Ages, York merchants imported wine from France, cloth, wax, canvas, and oats from the Low Countries , timber and furs from
8906-451: The former city council's own proposal. From 1997 to 2010, the central part of the district was covered by the City of York constituency, while the remainder was split between the constituencies of Ryedale , Selby , and Vale of York . These constituencies were represented by Hugh Bayley , John Greenway , John Grogan , and Anne McIntosh respectively. Following their review in 2003 of parliamentary representation in North Yorkshire ,
9028-528: The freesheet press, including The Metro and City A.M. , regional publications including The London Evening Standard , The Scottish Herald , The Northern Echo and The Yorkshire Post , special interest publications including The Voice , and a number of international publications including The New Zealand Herald , The Times Colonist and The National . Publications including The Financial Times and The Scotsman have also referred to Birmingham's second city status. During
9150-665: The issues associated with agglomerating distinct urban settlements into single cities. According to the Centre for Cities Data Tool, Birmingham's population in 2020 was 2.56 million, marginally ahead of Manchester's 2.52 million. At other times, the wider metropolitan areas of the two cities are considered. Compared directly, the Birmingham Metropolitan Area is the larger of the two, with an estimated 2021 population of 4.34 million as opposed to Manchester's 3.1 million. The media typically describe Birmingham as
9272-428: The mid-twentieth century, Manchester has been pitched as a contender for the title. Birmingham is the more populous city and is recognised as such by His Majesty's Government . However, confusion surrounding the correct way to define the two cities' populations, along with the publication of outdated, inaccurate or estimated population statistics, has sometimes led to erroneous comparisons between them. According to
9394-410: The national average of 30.1%. In 2001, the population density was 4,368/km (11,310/sq mi). Of those aged 16–74 in York, 24.6% had no academic qualifications, a little lower than 28.9% in all of England. Of York's residents, 5.1% were born outside the United Kingdom, significantly lower than the national average of 9.2%. White British form 95% of the population; the largest single minority group
9516-529: The north the Calder Valley line connects Manchester and Leeds via Rochdale and Bradford (where trains have to reverse). This line has been strengthened to allow its use as a diversionary route while the Huddersfield line is upgraded. Reopening the Woodhead line as a potential alternative Pennine crossing was ruled out early on. The Skipton–East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership is a campaign that
9638-476: The northern capital of Britannia Inferior , would have been considered the second city by virtue of its prominence in Roman times. In medieval England , the second-largest city was Norwich . It was surpassed by Bristol in the seventeenth century. By the nineteenth century, the label "second city of the British Empire" had emerged and was widely applied to Dublin , the capital of Ireland . Dublin
9760-718: The number of tracks from two to four. Also, by building a bridge that will provide grade separation at Thornhill L.N.W. Junction, it will eliminate conflicts between trains travelling along the Calder valley between Brighouse and Wakefield and those travelling between Huddersfield and Leeds. On 27 June 2022, the Secretary of State for Transport's decision to grant the Order under the Transport and Works Act (the TWAO) for this section
9882-517: The other home nations . York was named the second city in earlier centuries, by virtue of its prominence in Roman times as the northern capital, Eboracum , of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior . The title Second City of the Empire or Second City of the British Empire was claimed by a number of cities in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Commercial trading city Liverpool
10004-625: The population of each city is sometimes taken to be the contiguous built-up urban area of their respective conurbations. According to a methodology defined by the Office for National Statistics in 2011, the Greater Manchester Built-up Area 's population of 2.55 million is marginally bigger than that of the West Midlands conurbation , at 2.44 million. This disparity is explained by the area of green belt known as
10126-426: The population of the city of Birmingham has remained steady around the one million mark; its central population fell like Glasgow's, but the city boundaries were extended several times in the early 20th century. Occasional claims were made for Liverpool , Birmingham and Manchester . Birmingham has generally been considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom since the time of World War I . However, from
10248-494: The ports at Merseyside and the Humber , are linked by the M62. Annual average daily traffic flows of 100,000 were recorded east of the Pennines at junction 22 in 2006 and 78,000 west of the Pennines. The UK government has long recognised the advantages of modal shift from road to rail. Most main railway lines in England radiate out from London with very few, such as the transpennine routes, going at right angles to these. It
10370-739: The privileges granted by a charter of Richard II in 1396. The city underwent a period of economic decline during Tudor times. Under King Henry VIII , the Dissolution of the Monasteries saw the end of York's many monastic houses , including several orders of friars , the hospitals of St Nicholas and of St Leonard, the largest such institution in the north of England. This led to the Pilgrimage of Grace , an uprising of northern Catholics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire opposed to religious reform. Henry VIII restored his authority by establishing
10492-510: The province of Britannia Inferior, and it is likely that it was he who granted York the privileges of a ' colonia ' or city. Constantius I died in 306 AD during his stay in York, and his son Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor by the troops based in the fortress. In 314 AD a bishop from York attended the Council at Arles to represent Christians from the province . While the Roman colonia and fortress were on high ground, by 400 AD
10614-427: The provision of a third track to act as a "Crawler Lane" for freight trains climbing up from Huddersfield to Marsden. Further benefits to the economy have also been touted. In particular, sustainability has been emphasized. On 31 March 2021, a TWAO was published with plans showing the scope of the works. The whole scheme document was split up into portions, with W referring to portions to the west, and E to portions to
10736-579: The rebuilt castles, now in stone, are visible on either side of the River Ouse. The first stone minster church was badly damaged by fire in the uprising, and the Normans built a minster on a new site. Around the year 1080, Archbishop Thomas started building the cathedral that in time became the current Minster. In the 12th century, York started to prosper. In 1190, York Castle was the site of an infamous massacre of its Jewish inhabitants , in which at least 150 were murdered, although some authorities put
10858-631: The region of York between 8000 and 7000 BC, although it is not known whether their settlements were permanent or temporary. By the time of the Roman conquest of Britain , the area was occupied by a tribe known to the Romans as the Brigantes . The Brigantian tribal area initially became a Roman client state, but later its leaders became more hostile and the Roman Ninth Legion was sent north of
10980-581: The region's needs. However, the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) that was announced in November 2021, did include full electrification between Manchester and York, and subsequently W12 loading gauge to accommodate 2.9 m × 2.6 m (9.5 ft × 8.5 ft) refrigerated shipping containers throughout. The whole £9–11.5 billion programme has been defined as phase one of Northern Powerhouse Rail, and
11102-543: The route will require a review of options for persons of reduced mobility such as step-free access and other enhancements. The electrical power for the scheme on the west side of the scheme, is being provided from the grid feeder in the Stalybridge area at Heyrod. It was visited by Jonathan Reynolds , the local MP for the constituency on 27 May 2016. The latest plans in the TWAO call for a SFC (Static Frequency Converter) in
11224-708: The same period, the BBC published a "Brummies' guide to Birmingham and beyond" which contained the subheading "Something for everyone in the second city", while Sky published a legacy piece discussing the concerns of "people who live in Britain's second city". Other national broadcasters whose websites have, at different times, referred to Birmingham as the second city include ITV , and Channel 4 . Since 2010, major international news providers including Reuters , The Associated Press , Agence France-Presse , Bloomberg News , CNN International , Al Jazeera and The New York Times Company have all referred to Birmingham as
11346-428: The second city is an unofficial title and one of subjective opinion, a number of polls have been conducted over the years. Despite Birmingham being viewed as the traditional second city, public polls have shown a slight preference for Manchester since 2000: Although the government does not publish policy on the matter, ministers have tended to endorse Birmingham's status as the country's second city. A notable exception
11468-462: The second city of either Britain or England, although the descriptor "second-largest city" is also frequently seen. In 2019, an article in the New York Times suggested both Liverpool and Manchester might lay claim to being England's cultural second city. Travel and events publications including Lonely Planet , Rough Guides and Time Out refer to Birmingham as the second city. As
11590-554: The second city. Reporting on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July and August 2022, ten of the twelve nationally distributed daily newspapers in the United Kingdom published articles referring to Birmingham as the "second city" of either the United Kingdom, Britain or England: The Times , The Daily Telegraph , The i , The Guardian , The Independent , and The Daily Mirror . The same phrasing appeared in
11712-529: The section between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe. This will involve improvements to Huddersfield station including an increase from three to four through platforms, four-tracking between the two stations, with grade separation at Ravensthorpe, and the movement of Ravensthorpe station to serve trains on the Calder Valley line in addition to the Huddersfield line. Projects W2b/c concern the Stalybridge to Marsden and Marsden to Huddersfield sections. These include track realignment between Stalybridge and Diggle , and
11834-484: The surrounding conurbations and areas that can be considered part of each city are hard to define. Manchester is regarded as a particularly 'under-bounded' city, whose archaic boundaries no longer accurately reflect its true size. To reflect this, the City of Manchester is sometimes conflated with Greater Manchester , the metropolitan county and combined authority which includes the neighbouring City of Salford and eight other metropolitan boroughs that broadly define
11956-464: The time of the 2011 UK census , compared with 137,505 in 2001. The population of the City of York (Local Authority) was 198,051 and its ethnic composition was 94.3% White, 1.2% Mixed, 3.4% Asian and 0.6% Black. York's elderly population (those 65 and over) was 16.9%, however only 13.2% were listed as retired. Also at the time of the 2001 UK census , the City of York had a total population of 181,094 of whom 93,957 were female and 87,137 were male. Of
12078-620: The title " The Right Honourable ", the others being the Lord Mayors of London , Bristol , Cardiff and Belfast . York is an ancient borough , and was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 to form a municipal borough . It gained the status of a county borough in 1889, under the Local Government Act 1888 , and existed so until 1974, when, under the Local Government Act 1972 , it became
12200-594: The town vulnerable to attack and unprepared for battle. After it was conquered, the city was renamed from the Old English Eoforwic to Jorvik . It became the capital of Viking territory in Britain, and at its peak boasted more than 10,000 inhabitants. This was a population second only to London within Great Britain. Jorvik proved an important economic and trade centre for the Vikings. Norse coinage
12322-552: The town was victim to occasional flooding from the Rivers Ouse and Foss, and the population reduced. York declined in the post-Roman era, and was taken and settled by the Angles in the 5th century. Reclamation of parts of the town was initiated in the 7th century under King Edwin of Northumbria , and York became his chief city. The first wooden minster church was built in York for the baptism of Edwin in 627, according to
12444-412: Was John Prescott , former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kingston upon Hull East , who concluded a conference speech in Manchester in 2007 with the words "...Manchester – our second city", although this was later played down by his department, claiming they were made in a "light-hearted context". Prescott had previously declared Birmingham the second city while on
12566-414: Was 88.4 millimetres (3.5 in). York's urbanised areas are surrounded by a green belt that restricts development in the rural areas and parts of surrounding villages, to preserve the setting and historic character of the city. The green belt surrounds nearly all of the city and its outer villages, extending out into North Yorkshire. The York urban area (built-up area) had a population of 153,717 at
12688-486: Was also a Celtic personal name, so Eburākon could also mean "the property of Eburos". Indeed, the 12th‑century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth , in his fictional account of the prehistoric kings of Britain, Historia Regum Britanniae , suggests the name derives from that of a pre-Roman city founded by the legendary king Ebraucus . The name was Latinised by the Romans as Eboracum or Eburacum , and
12810-685: Was announced at this time. In November 2014, the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg reported on the government's desire to see the whole route upgraded and electrified. Manchester Victoria has already had electrification equipment installed as part of the northwest programmes. On other parts of the route, including between Leeds and York, bridge raising and other civil engineering works were started in March 2015. Other bridges in Tameside between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge were also worked on. Further civil engineering contracts were awarded in 2017. Various local authorities have also provided updates. On
12932-531: Was announced in the 2011 Autumn Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer . The cost was cited as £290 million and the project was planned to start in 2014. In the 2012 High Level Output Specification (HLOS) , it was announced there would be additional electrification from Leeds to Selby . Northern Powerhouse Rail (sometimes called High Speed 3) was established in 2014 to substantially enhance
13054-507: Was built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss on a terminal moraine left by the last ice age . During Roman times, the land surrounding the Ouse and Foss was marshy, making the site easy to defend. The city is prone to flooding from the River Ouse, and has an extensive network of flood defences with walls along the river, and a liftable barrier across the Foss where it joins the Ouse at
13176-545: Was cited as 2032. However, the IRP did not include most of the eastern leg of HS2, nor the high speed rail line from Manchester all the way to Leeds. Instead, it says a high speed line would be built east from Manchester to Marsden, which is just over the border into West Yorkshire, at the eastern end of the Standedge Tunnels . Cllr Louise Gittins, Interim Chair of Transport for the North , said that: “Today’s announcement
13298-515: Was completed on time. On 5 October 2021 Proofs of Evidence were submitted by Network Rail to the Department for Transport. On 26 May 2021, it was confirmed that a further £317 million was being spent on the upgrade, and confirmed the electrification of the line between York and Church Fenton , although Network Rail had already started to install masts for overhead line electrification (OLE) on this route in February 2021. On 4 June 2021, it
13420-458: Was confirmed that the £317 million was in addition to the £589 million previously announced and further confirmed that electrification would go from Huddersfield to Leeds. It was also stated that work would begin immediately. However, this is disputed according to one source. As of 2021, Network Rail are working on the sections between York and Church Fenton , Huddersfield and Westtown ( Dewsbury ) and Manchester and Stalybridge . It
13542-554: Was created at the Jorvik mint, while archaeologists have found evidence of a variety of craft workshops around the town's central Coppergate area. These demonstrate that textile production, metalwork, carving, glasswork and jewellery-making were all practised in Jorvik. Materials from as far afield as the Persian Gulf have also been discovered, suggesting that the town was part of an international trading network. Under Viking rule
13664-489: Was discovered. On the arrival of Prince Rupert , with an army of 15,000 men, the siege was lifted. The Parliamentarians retreated some 6 miles (10 km) from York with Rupert in pursuit, before turning on his army and soundly defeating it at the Battle of Marston Moor . Of Rupert's 15,000 troops, 4,000 were killed and 1,500 captured. The siege was renewed and the city surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax on 15 July. Following
13786-480: Was eclipsed over the coming decades by several rapidly industrialising cities in Britain. Glasgow was sometimes described as the second city of the Empire during the Victorian era . Currently, Birmingham is commonly referred to as the UK's second city, although Manchester has also emerged as a contender. Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast also have alternative claims due to their status as capital cities of
13908-529: Was in the midst of internecine struggles when the Vikings raided and captured York. As a thriving Anglo-Saxon metropolis and prosperous economic hub, York was a clear target for the Vikings. Led by Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan , Scandinavian forces attacked the town on All Saints' Day. Launching the assault on a holy day proved an effective tactical move – most of York's leaders were in the cathedral, leaving
14030-492: Was inhabited by 6,000 legionary soldiers. The site of the principia (HQ) of the fortress lies under the foundations of York Minster , and excavations in the undercroft have revealed part of the Roman structure and columns. The Emperors Hadrian , Septimius Severus , and Constantius I all held court in York during their various campaigns. During his stay 207–211 AD, the Emperor Severus proclaimed York capital of
14152-537: Was joined in 1869 by his brother the philanthropist Joseph . Another chocolate manufacturer, Terry's of York , was a major employer. By 1900, the railways and confectionery had become the city's two major industries. York was a centre of early photography , as described by Hugh Murray in his 1986 book Photographs and Photographers of York: The Early Years, 1844–79 . Photographers who had studios in York included William Hayes , William Pumphrey , and Augustus Mahalski who operated on Davygate and Low Petergate in
14274-488: Was published. This includes quadrupling the track across most of the route, the provision of grade separation at Ravensthorpe and works to the stations, as well as electrification throughout. On 18 November 2021 the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) was published. This included a commitment to the Transpennine north railway upgrade to include full electrification. The completion date for all works
14396-526: Was recorded as Asian, at 1.9% of the population. The number of theft-from-a-vehicle offences and theft of a vehicle per 1,000 of the population was 8.8 and 2.7, compared to the English national average of 6.9 and 2.7 respectively. The number of sexual offences was 0.9, in line with the national average. The national average of violence against another person was 16.2 compared to the York average of 17.5. The figures for crime statistics were all recorded during
14518-530: Was regarded as holding this title with its massive port, merchant fleet and world-wide trading links. Liverpool was constantly referred to as the New York of Europe. Glasgow (which continues to use the title as a marketing slogan), and (outside of Britain or Ireland) Calcutta (modern Kolkata ) and Philadelphia . Prior to the union with Scotland in 1707, from the English Civil War until
14640-747: Was rising. York's many elegant townhouses , such as the Lord Mayor's Mansion House and Fairfax House date from this period, as do the Assembly Rooms , the Theatre Royal , and the racecourse . The railway promoter George Hudson was responsible for bringing the railway to York in 1839. Although Hudson's career as a railway entrepreneur ended in disgrace and bankruptcy, his promotion of York over Leeds, and of his own railway company (the York and North Midland Railway ), helped establish York as
14762-549: Was submitted July 2022 to close three level crossings (Rose Lane, Adamsons and Poulters) and replace with one new road and bridge with pavement and mitigated for reduced mobility access. It has been called the Church Fenton Level Crossing Reduction, and will give access to the farms and homes in the area. Other crossings are being modified and closed in the scope of these works, some of which affect public rights of way . As Huddersfield station
14884-635: Was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I , the entire Protestant, and even most of the Catholic aristocracy and nobility were inside. In 1644, during the Civil War , the Parliamentarians besieged York , and many medieval houses outside the city walls were lost. The barbican at Walmgate Bar was undermined and explosives laid, but the plot
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