There is widespread agreement that rail needs to improve to help bridge the north south divide. The refranchising of Northern Rail and TransPennine Express is key in this. An important stage has now been reached with the Department for Transport about to publish an Invitation to Tender (ITT). The ITT must set the tone for service improvement and reject the ‘minimum cost’ approach to Northern Rail taken in the past. This report, commissioned by Campaign for Better Transport, aims to define the ‘stepping stones’ needed between now and the 2020s – when major new rail investment comes on stream – steps that should form an integral part of the new Northern franchise. Read the full report here: Stepping Stones to a re balanced Britain