‘We need a railway fit for the 21st century not a 20th century upgrade to 19th century infrastructure’

In the wake of weekend reports about the future of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail and ahead of the anticipated publishing if the Integrated Rail Plan this week, Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire has written to the Prime Minister to urging him to keep his promises to level up the North and the transport investment that requires.

Tracy Brabin

In an open letter she says the government’s ambition must go beyond upgrading existing lines stating: “We need a railway fit for the 21st century not a 20th century upgrade to 19th century infrastructure”

The letter notes that the weekend reports “are concerning to all” who represent the North and that the “leaks and pre briefings are very very damaging to business confidence”.

Brabin who was elected in May highlighted that Boris Johnson had made several promises about transport in the North, from his first major speech in Manchester in July 2019 where he pledged to “fund the Leeds to Manchester route”, through to February last year where he told the House of Commons both HS2 and NPR were needed and “both will be built as quickly and cost effectively as possible”.

She said that this rhetoric means that the Prime Minister obviously shares her ambitions for a better-connected North.

Brabin added: “The government has a choice to make. It can choose to unlock the potential of the North, or it can let us down once again, limiting your levelling up ambitions, before you’ve had a chance to finalise the Levelling Up White Paper.”

Alongside the mayor, James Lewis, leader of Leeds city council has also spoken out against the the supposed new plans, stating it will reinforce the “old north-south divide”.

He added: “We believe that anything less than a commitment to the eastern leg of HS2 as part of an integrated network with Northern Powerhouse Rail in full would undermine any pledge to ‘level up’ our regions – at a time when we need it most.”

Henri Murison, director of Northern Powerhouse Partnership called the reported revised plans “misguided in economic terms”, highlighting that “bypassing Bradford with its young and diverse population is the height of short-term Treasury thinking”.

He added: “Throwing money at 150-year-old tunnels towards Manchester because it will cost less, which will never have enough capacity as they and the wider route through Huddersfield is so constrained, is not Northern Powerhouse Rail.”

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