Julian supports rail link for Leeds-Bradford airport
October 21, 2014
Last week in Parliament, Julian supported calls for Leeds-Bradford airport to benefit from a dedicated rail link off the York / Harrogate / Leeds line.
The airport is used by many local residents around York and is one of the country’s fastest growing airports, supporting over 2,600 local jobs. It contributes more than £118 million to the wider Yorkshire economy and passenger numbers are due to increase from 3.3 million today to over 7 million by 2030. Currently Leeds-Bradford airport can only be accessed by car or bus service, resulting in local residential roads becoming increasingly congested.
Attending the debate, Julian emphasised the importance of better transport links in the North and the need for long term planning. He said “The rail line he is talking about runs through my constituency too, which shows how important Leeds Bradford airport is for connecting our region. If we are truly to connect the whole region, it must be through the rail infrastructure, rather than by tinkering with the road infrastructure. That means long-term investment, not short-term investment that means only short-term gains.”
Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew agreed with Julian’s intervention saying “if we are serious about connecting the north, we need to invest and take a long-term approach, as my hon. Friend suggested”.
