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Infrastructure and construction firms should expect a boost to pipelines at this week鈥檚 spending review, with the chancellor set to allocate nearly 拢7bn to improve public transport in England鈥檚 city regions.

Rishi Sunak is expected to reveal how 拢6.9bn will be spent on train, tram, bus and cycle schemes across the country.

Just 拢1.5bn of the funding is new money.

Sunak already announced a 拢4.2bn devolved transport fund for the UK鈥檚 combined authorities.

Greater Manchester is expected to receive more than 拢1bn to spend on new trams, bus services and its 140-mile cycling and walking network.

The West Midlands is also set to receive more than 拢1bn for metro stations and bus rapid transit schemes, while Liverpool is set to be handed 拢710m. The latter is expected to help deliver new and renovated stations in Liverpool and Runcorn as well as an interchange project at St Helens.

Other devolved regions tipped to receive funding are West Yorkshire with 拢830m, South Yorkshire, 拢570m, West of England, 拢540m, and Tees Valley, 拢310m.

The Railway Industry Association (RIA), which represents the UK rail supply community, responded to Sunak鈥檚 announcements saying investment in regional schemes will be key to the government鈥檚 levelling up approach to covid-19 recovery

Darren Caplan, chief executive of the RIA, said: 鈥淩egional and city transport systems across the UK have a pivotal role to play in driving the economic recovery post-coronavirus, as well as boosting productivity and growth in the long run.鈥�

There are still concerns about the fact that the Integrated Rail Plan, which will outline rail investment priorities for the North and Midlands, has not yet been publishe. It was originally meant to come out in the first quarter of the year.

It is widely expected that the IRP will say the eastern branch of HS2 should not be built out in full, although it is unclear whether this document will be published alongside the spending review.