Transpennine Route Upgrade
Transpennine Route Upgrade
Client
Network Rail
Sector
Infrastructures
How we helped
Transport
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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.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a multi-billion pound improvement programme of the Manchester to York rail corridor. The project will see the full electrification of the whole route, digital signalling throughout and creation of longer sections of three and four tracking.

As part of the upgrade works, level crossings are being closed and replaced along the route, to ensure a safer railway. Carter Jonas is appointed to provide property advisory, sponsorship, and consents services to the TRU Programme.

As part of our instruction, Carter Jonas has provided specialist land assembly and land referencing services in the promotion of three Transport and Works Act Orders (TWAO) on the TRU East Route. 

Specifically this has involved:
  • Desktop land referencing to identify interested parties
  • A significant level of landowner engagement and consultation with all affected parties across each TWAO
  • Attendance at public consultation events
  • Production of a complete book of reference for each TWAO
  • Early negotiation of requirements via agreement 
  • Ben Thomas acting as Property Expert Witness at all three public inquiries
  • Negotiation of additional strategic compounds and survey access requests

In the months ahead we will be carrying on our involvement on the project providing:
  • Property advice during implementation of powers
  • Continued private treaty negotiation
  • Negotiation and settlement of Compensation Claims 
  • Senior Sponsor Services leading the delivery of the project


Across all three TWAOs we undertook a significant level of early engagement with landowners, feeding their comments into the design process and addressing their concerns where possible. This helped limit the number of landowner objections for each TWAO.

Train commuting through rural land