The 5 crucial £163bn UK mega-projects that Rachel Reeves simply can't afford to say no to

Rachel Reeves made a huge song and dance in June announcing £15billion for transport projects across the country in an effort to convince the British public that she is taking the urgent need to grow the economy seriously. Since then, it has become increasingly clear that the Chancellor is planning to tighten the country's belt at her next Budget, expected on November 26. Compared to some other developed nations across the globe, Britain's transport network is dire.

Thousands of us have to contend with delays and extortionate ticket prices on the railways, potholes that cause very costly damage to our cars, and whole cities remaining without their own internal tram systems. There seem to be near-constant tweaks, such as the electrification of stretches of railway and new stations. But the overall picture has not changed. Ms Reeves needs to make sure large projects get over the line in order to ensure large-scale improvements and show that she really does want to make things better, besides her own political fortunes.

A Northern Powerhouse Rail project has been in the offing in some shape or form for around a decade.

Originally proposed as "High Speed 3" by Tory Chancellor George Osborne, the project aimed to deliver better east-west rail links across the North of England, particularly between cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.

The latest estimation as regards its cost is approximately £19billion, so even the entirety of Ms Reeves's cash pot would not touch the sides.

In September, it was announced that the scheme would be delayed again due to the long-term costs of the line earmarked between Liverpool and Manchester.

In 2020, experts predicted that improved connectivity between northern cities could generate an extra £3.4billion a year.

Yet another reminder that increasing an already huge tax burden is not the only way to plug a hole in the public finances.

The Varsity Line between the ancient cities of Oxford and Cambridge was closed in the 1960s, and authorities mooted the idea of reconnecting them in the 1990s.

Oxford and Bicester were connected in 2015, with a Bicester to Milton Keynes route due to open in December.

More or less 30 years after the idea was conceived, it has still not been fully realised.

In January, the Chancellor confirmed funding for East-West Rail, as well as upgrades to the A428 to reduce journey times.

With globally famous universities at the top of global league tables at either end of the line, this area of the UK is arguably more ripe for development than many others. Get a move on.

It is hardly worth mentioning HS2, as we are all aware of how much of a farce that has become.

Rishi Sunak's decision to cancel its northern leg was one of extraordinary political selfishness, which didn't even help to ensure his own political survival.

You have to ask: What is the point of it now?

Its purpose was to boost northern cities, and it isn't even going to go there.

For now.

Instead, we will have to settle for a service between London and Birmingham, and this may not even include a hub at Euston.

The green light for HS2's tunnel between Old Oak Common in west London and Euston was given by Reeves in October.

However, in February, the delivery of a number of works at the Euston station of the 7.2km tunnel was delayed.

When I studied my MA degree at the University of Birmingham in 2020, I saw the firm's Curzon Street construction site during every commute from my home in Leicestershire.

It was incredibly exciting to see, the novelty never wearing off.

We need to find this feeling once again, and make certain that the project will reach Leeds.

The UK is home to loads of large cities, and Leeds is the biggest in western Europe without any form of rapid transit system like trams or a metro.

The Sheffield Supertram generated £17.6million from 9.1million passenger journeys in the year ending March 2025.

The South Yorkshire city had a population of 556,500 as of 2021.

Leeds has around 812,000.

The Sheffield tram's surplus goes to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), and some cash raised as a result of the Leeds system would presumably go to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), establishing a new revenue raiser.

The Chancellor announced in the summer that £2.1billion of local transport funding would be allocated to West Yorkshire.

Coventry is also set for its own light railway system - the Very Light Railway (VLR) - the first of its kind in the world.

London may not be at the top of the priority list (I grew up in the Midlands, where public transport is comparatively dire), but ensuring the capital could expand its already extensive network would boost the city's already huge economic output and make people's lives easier.

Giving money to the city seems to be viewed as a cardinal sin, but it is important to remember that not everybody living there is a wealthy hedge fund manager with a fancy car.

Crossrail 2 - planned for between Surrey and Hertfordshire - would have a similar impact on the way commuters and tourists travel as the one made by the Elizabeth line, which opened in 2022.

For the 2023/24 financial year, passenger income from the purple line totalled £606million, or 12 per cent of TfL's overall passenger income, compared with seven per cent in 2022/23, according to City Hall.

A second Crossrail, once finished, would be another game-changer.

The huge project still seems to be in the offing, as construction is set to start next year on part of it.

A £1.1billion expansion of the British Library includes a large new office building on land that is safeguarded for Crossrail 2's future Euston and St Pancras station.

It is a tantalising taste of an exciting future.