Greg Mulholland: A campaign victory – but all still to play for down the line

In many respects, the statement by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis did not say anything that we did not already know. That the first phase of the network is going to be a simple link between London and Birmingham with plans for how to link this with the rest of the country being finalised at a later date.

Unfortunately, Lord Adonis has been a little more vague in how the project will be advanced. The Minister simply said in his letter to MPs: "As part of today's announcement I am commissioning more detailed work on high-speed routes to both Manchester and Leeds, either side of the Pennines."

The devil here is most certainly in the detail and it is not clear if the plans are for a "Y" shape line, or actually in reality a vision for a West Coast line with a spur to Leeds.

I am delighted, however, that high speed rail to Yorkshire is now clearly part of the Government's thinking. That was not the case a year ago, and is testament to the success of the campaign for high-speed rail to Yorkshire.

It shows the power of campaigning and I pay tribute to the Yorkshire Post and its Fast Track to Yorkshire campaign.

I have led on this issue in Parliament. I have had two meetings with Lord Adonis himself, secured a debate in the House of Commons and have written, with Labour MP Clive Betts and Conservative Philip Davies, to councils and business organisations to support the campaign.

We welcome the good news.

However, I remain concerned that the idea of a "Y" shape may simply mean that Manchester and the North West will get served first, with Yorkshire waiting many years longer for a direct connection, or having to argue – again – for this line.

Worse still, now that High Speed 2 seems more likely to continue from Manchester to Glasgow, rather than linking Yorkshire with the North East and Scotland.

The consequence could mean us being fobbed off with a trans-Pennine link, and not a direct line to Yorkshire.

Future governments need to be warned of one reality: we will not accept this.

Only a direct link, built at the same time as any line from Birmingham to the North West, will give us a level playing field with the rest of the country.

We could be waiting for years and, in the meantime, the West Midlands and North West would benefit hugely while Yorkshire is left behind. Businesses from the Continent and further afield would favour the side of the country with high-speed rail at its disposal.

I also remain disappointed that the "High Speed North" proposal for a single line up the spine of the country, parallel with the M1, wasn't properly considered. This proposal had a strong economic and environmental case.

Nevertheless, we have achieved a small, but very significant victory.

Direct high-speed rail to Yorkshire is still a possibility, something that might well not have been the case had we not fought a vigorous campaign.

But it is only a small victory and, in the end, all that matters is getting the direct link.

As such, there is all to play for.

Whatever the election result, there will be a new Government in power in less than two months' time.

I believe there is a lot of debate still to have to decide what the UK's high speed future looks like to ensure it delivers the Fast Track to Yorkshire that we need – and deserve.

Greg Mulholland is the Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West.

The benefits of a rail network for the future

Andrew Adonis

Lord Adonis is the Transport Secretary

THE future prosperity of major cities like Leeds depends on investing in the technologies and infrastructure that drive economic growth.

In particular, we need to deliver a step change in transport capacity between our largest and most productive conurbations.

Faster, more efficient links between Yorkshire and other parts of the country will provide the arteries that allow business and trade to thrive, opening access to new markets, and creating new jobs.

That's why yesterday the Government announced proposals for a high-speed rail network that would transform connectivity across the country. We have proposed a "Y" shaped line linking Leeds, Sheffield, the East Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester and London, which could more than treble the capacity of some key existing routes.

I know there is a lot of support for high-speed rail in Yorkshire, and

I welcome the Yorkshire Post's campaign, which has highlighted the substantial benefits of a new line.

Dramatically improved travel times to Birmingham would also enable the cities of the North and the Midlands to compete and collaborate more effectively, particularly when combined with improvements to trans-Pennine services.

The core high-speed network would include other connections with existing tracks, including West and East Coast Main Lines, so that direct services could be operated from the start to cities like Newcastle, Edinburgh and Liverpool.

New high-speed stations would act as a catalyst for urban and regional development, generating investment, innovation and renewal. Equally, as passenger and freight services are transferred to high speed, existing commuter services will enjoy a boost in capacity.

Further work must now begin on both the costs and funding options. We expect a public consultation on routes north of Birmingham to take place next year. Although construction would not start until 2017, I hope the people of Leeds and Yorkshire can get behind this transformational project immediately.