£401m rail funding boost announced 26/05/2021, 12:07 am A further £69 million of funding is due to go towards increasing freight capacity between the Port of Southampton and the Midlands (Danny Lawson/PA) A £401 million funding boost will help rail services in the North of England and the Midlands become “faster, greener and more reliable”, the Government has said. The Department for Transport (DfT) said £317 million would be invested in the Transpennine Route Upgrade to improve “punctuality, reliability and connectivity” for passengers travelling between York, Leeds and Manchester. A further £69 million of funding would go towards increasing freight capacity between the Port of Southampton and the Midlands.