Why we need to get trains moving across Yorkshire - David Blunkett

That is why I wholeheartedly welcome the agreement between the three elected Metro Mayors in Yorkshire, signed at the historic Selby Abbey this week, to work together on investment in infrastructure. From this May, there will also be a newly elected Mayor for Hull and East Yorkshire, who will be invited to join the venture with Oliver Coppard in South Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire and David Skaith in York and North Yorkshire.

The White Rose Agreement, which will initially concentrate on integrated rail and tram investment, is the first step in literally getting our act together, and matching what we have seen can be achieved through the example of Greater Manchester’s joint working with Merseyside.

I was very pleased to agree, two weeks ago, to act as a catalyst in the next few months to pull together existing and developing ideas, including those such as the West Yorkshire Transit System – which was at least given half a nod by the Chancellor in her speech at the end of January.

The weeks ahead are vital as the Government prepares for its 10 year infrastructure plan to be announced in the summer.

However, many of the aspects which now need to be drawn together have been on the cards for a long time, and some parts of the programme are already well underway: such as the Trans Pennine link, with substantial improvement in journey times to West and North Yorkshire. Miraculously this project is on-time and on budget.

But the challenge is considerable. Whilst linking Oxford and Cambridge effectively by rail is seen as a crucial element in both cutting-edge regeneration and combining the power of the two historic universities, the same concept has never been developed about Sheffield and Leeds.

There are significant city to city trading opportunities between Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and York with some of the top universities in the UK. However, the current volume of rail travel per capita between our cities is well below comparable rail travel elsewhere.

It’s worth reminding ourselves that Yorkshire has a population slightly larger than that of Scotland whose two largest cities are almost exactly the same size in population as Sheffield and Leeds but with substantially better transport links.

The rail connection between Edinburgh and Glasgow is seen as really important to the economic, industrial and social life of that country. Over 1.6 million people travel each year between those two cities, whilst a mere 320,000 make the journey by rail between Sheffield and Leeds. Not surprising that there are lower numbers because of the lengthy journey time, reliability and comfort.

Additionally, there are more people travelling from York, from Sheffield and from Leeds over to Manchester by rail, than between the three respective Yorkshire cities.

If we are to persuade people to leave their car at home and turn instead to intercity travel then substantial investment over the years ahead will be a no-brainer.

It is acknowledged that growth, productivity and the jobs of the future are often associated with a substantial improvement in transport links. Therefore, it's a no-brainer to want to facilitate development alongside, and incorporated in, better public transport.

But this is also about urban regeneration. The long-awaited ‘through station’ in Bradford; or the much-needed improvement in Rotherham would be two such examples. The tram/train expansion in Sheffield and Rotherham would facilitate housing developments and much improved travel across the subregion.

There will be understandable scepticism if public transport is not dramatically improved. Cancellations, late running, dirty and inadequate rolling stock and lack of connectivity with bus and tram services all add to a feeling that what we need is a revolution incorporating electrification and a contribution to net zero. An integrated approach which links businesses, universities and communities into a critical mass which can begin challenging the economic dominance of the south-east of England, and the notion that the ‘North of England’ lies somewhere west of Glossop.

Since July, the Government has established Great British Railways, but further substantial reforms are promised in additional legislation – which, if they are going to work, will have to be built on devolving genuine input and delivery to elected Mayors and Combined Authorities.

The next few months will be a foundation on which we can build, but presenting to the government our united determination to get this right will be a fundamental first step.

David Blunkett is a Labour Party politician, and served as the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.