Government investment in Transpennine rail line
July 24, 2020
Julian Sturdy MP has welcomed the announcement that the Government will provide £589 million to begin vital upgrades on the Transpennine main line, benefitting passengers and businesses in York
The line, which connects Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester will bring significant improvements for passengers, while at the same time boosting local economies. The most congested section of the route will be doubled from two to four tracks, allowing fast trains to overtake slower ones – improving journey times and reliability for passengers across the North. Most of the line will be electrified, and the Government will also consider full electrification, along with digital signalling and improved freight capacity as part of a new integrated rail plan to be published in December.
It comes as the Transport Secretary also announced the creation of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council, which will ensure northern leaders have a direct line to ministers, helping to cut red tape and improve services for passengers. The Council, which will be chaired by the Transport Secretary, will meet for the first time in September and be made up of mayors and council leaders.
Commenting on the announcement Julian Sturdy MP said:
“Its encouraging to see that the Coronavirus pandemic has not reduced the Government’s ambition to invest in the infrastructure and economic prosperity of the North
The improvements announced this week will allow all-electric services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Newcastle, bring in longer and more frequent trains and create significantly more local capacity along the line. All in all this is an promising investment in greener, more reliable transport for our city.”
Also commenting, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“People across the North rightly expect action, progress and ambition and this government is determined to accelerate improvements as we invest billions to level up the region’s infrastructure.
“We are determined to build back better at pace, and this new council will allow us to engage collectively and directly with elected northern leaders to build the vital projects the region is crying out for.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
“Levelling-up opportunity will be key in our recovery from coronavirus and our long-term success will rely on having world-class infrastructure in all parts of the country. The Transpennine rail upgrade shows we are delivering on our promises to the North.”
