The government has unveiled details of its plans to bolster transport infrastructure in the north of England, as part of its 'Northern Powerhouse' economic plan.

It is planning to overhaul the road and rail network across not just the urban areas along the M62 corridor – Merseyside, Greater Manchester, South and West Yorkshire – but also further beyond towards areas such as Humberside, north Lancashire and Cumbria, and Newcastle.

Fleet companies will be set to benefit from the measures, which aim to improve traffic flow on existing roads, as well as potentially reducing congestion by enabling more journeys to be made by rail.

Motorways are a major focus of the plans, with 'smart motorway' developments taking place on sections of the M1, M6, M60 and M62. Other measures include adding new junctions in locations such as Daresbury in Cheshire (between Junctions 6 and 8 on the M6), as well as improvements to junctions on the M6 (J19), M62 (J26) and the M1 (J45), where a roundabout will be widened.

There will also be additional lanes on the M6 between Junctions 21a and 22 (four lanes), with extra lanes also being added to the M621 in south Leeds.

Several A roads will also see increases in capacity, with dualling work on the A585, A556 and A61 and the building of a new dual carriageway east of Manchester from the M67 terminal to a new junction at the A58(T) on Mottram Moor.

Commenting on the plans, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin emphasised the importance of the investment in closing the north-south divide.

He commented: "Investing in transport – something that successive governments have failed to do sufficiently – is vital to making that happen.

"We had a choice – building the infrastructure our country needs, or letting our transport system become a brake on growth and opportunity. We have chosen to invest for the future."

Future developments in the north could include a new direct road link via a tunnel under the Pennines between Manchester and Sheffield.