Transport Minister in support of bi-modal trains
Transport Minister Chris Grayling answered questions from business leaders in Leeds on Friday, when he was urged to move connectivity across the north on at pace.
At the session organised by Downtown in Business, Grayling said £3m would be spent on the Trans-Pennine route between Leeds and Manchester in the coming 18 months and that investment was being made on key strategic roads in the north already.
All pacer trains on the route will be replaced by 2019, with updated trains that are also longer in length to accommodate more people. Grayling said: “It’s not just like for like replacements. And that’s every single train. It’ll be a complete transformation. The new generation of trains will have more seats that the existing trains.”
Asked why he had not made a decision on the electrification of the route, he said that Transport for the North were working to present Northern Powerhouse Rail to government later this year. He said parts of the track between Manchester and Liverpool had been upgraded already but he felt that bi-modal trains, capable of running on both electric and diesel, would be more feasible and cost effective on the Trans-Pennine section due to Victorian tunnels.
Between Sheffield and London, Grayling suggested bi-modal trains would also reduce journey times.
Grayling insisted that there was no north-south divide despite the cross rail two decision in the summer. He urged businesses to share positive news about the transport improvements in the north so that private investment would continue to be attracted to the north. He said: “Things are happening. It is not in the interests of the north not to let people know this.”
He added that autonomous vehicles would improve connectivity to and from train stations, providing cost effective and accessible bus connections across cities for people to start and and end their rail journeys.
Grayling was quizzed about bringing innovative new technologies to the train lines and making sure that he listened to engineers designing and inventing, to which he said he was expecting Network Rail to bring suggestions to the government very soon. He added: “It’s about using technology in the smartest ways. It’s about having a flexible approach.”
Mark Goldstone, of West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said that people across the region would be a lot happier if they knew the exact timings of transport proposals.
Steve Gillingham, director for the North at Mace, said: “Northern Powerhouse Rail will transform the economy of the North by dramatically widening the jobs market for millions of workers in the North.
“Nobody begrudges the investment being made into Crossrail 2 for London but what we want this government to do is to also honour its commitment to the great cities of the North of England.”
Speaking on behalf of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Gerald Jennings said: “Businesses in our region need to hear a clear and unambiguous commitment from government to improved east-west connectivity starting with the proposed Trans-Pennine upgrade.
“Improved connectivity will not only make it easier for people to access jobs but it will increase the size of the labour pool which in turn builds potential for business to grow their organisations safe in the knowledge that access to talent will not be a significant barrier.”
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