Nearly 200 sites across the country have been identified as suitable for housing development.

This includes land for around 5,000 homes in London, 3,600 in Manchester and the North, 1,700 in the Midlands and East of England, and around 1,400 homes in the South of England.

The ambitious programme is already under way with the largest 20 sites. Earmarked projects include the former Exchange Station site in Manchester, which will deliver land for 700 homes, and a major scheme at Chesterton near Cambridge which will release land for over 800 homes.

Network Rail will partner with developers to release land on a site-by-site basis over the next three to four years. The company is also considering an accelerated approach whereby some sites may be grouped and sold as multi-site developments. These sites could go to market as early as spring 2017.

David Biggs, managing director of Network Rail Property, said: “As we now ramp up our land release programme to deliver thousands more homes, we will be working closely with the Homes and Communities Agency, London Land Commission, local authorities and developers to bring identified sites forward to help meet the country’s housing needs.”