Exclusive:The North has been 'very patient' waiting for better train network, Rail Minister says
The North has been “very patient” while waiting for better train services, the Rail Minister has said, as he promised the Government would set out a fully funded and realistic plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Details of the long-promised high-speed network to connect the North’s great cities were expected to be unveiled at the Labour Party Conference last month by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Yorkshire’s Labour mayors are pushing for this to include a new through station at Bradford and the electrification of the Leeds to Sheffield line, leading to four fast trains an hour.
However, this announcement was pushed back, with Government sources insisting it will happen before the Autumn Budget on November 26.
Lord Hendy, the Rail Minister, said part of the delay was that the previous Conservative government “failed to cost or prioritise” anything with its rail plans.
He told The Yorkshire Post: “What this Government is trying to do is to set out things which are funded and will happen, because that's what people want to hear.”
Lord Hendy admitted that “the north of England has been very patient” when waiting for better rail connectivity, but said “we’re not going to make mistakes the previous people made”.
The Rail Minister explained that the decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2 had had an “impact” on the planning of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
However, he revealed that the Department of Transport was working with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former West Midlands Mayor Andy Street on plans to use private investment to build the high-speed line.
“There is a limited amount of money, clearly it's got to be prioritised,” Lord Hendy said.
“We are thinking about that and the work that the two mayors did was actually very helpful.
“We do need to think about better north-south capacity, because the West Coast Main Line is full, and it's another feature which means working out what you do with NPR is a bit more complex and difficult.”