Frustration in East Yorkshire over rail connectivity needs to be addressed
Yorkshire has long been held back by poor public transport and the public here is not willing to accept token gestures to improve the network. The Government won’t get away with trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate.
A part of the region that is in danger of being overlooked is East Yorkshire. The idea of the £1bn rail investment in a new fleet of 29 battery-electric trains shaving less than a minute off Hull–Leeds journeys is understandably leading to a great deal of consternation in this part of the region. Especially as the new trains won’t enter service until 2034.
There is a weary sense of deja vu when it comes to promises of rail improvements falling short in Yorkshire. Not because the people of this proud county are cynical but because they have been let down so many times before.
A fully-electrified line would result in meaningfully faster journeys for passengers travelling between two of Yorkshire’s great cities. Let’s not forget that Labour promised to bring Hull into Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) in 2024. A commitment that would see the electrification and improvement of the line between Hull, Leeds and Sheffield.
The reality is that in order for rail investment to truly deliver economic dividends, all of the region’s major cities need to be connected. Overlooking Hull would not only be to the detriment of East Yorkshire but the region as a whole.
There are few people who understand the need for meaningful transport infrastructure investment in the North better than Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
As The Yorkshire Post’s columnist Andrew Vine wrote earlier this week, a greater part of the PM’s credibility rests on delivering better railways for the whole of the North and not just his Manchester base and his native Liverpool.