Sir Keir Starmer's train is delayed on visit to West Yorkshire to announce transport funding

“There’s a huge number of people, there’s huge ambition,” Sir Keir said, before adding: “I can’t help but think if that was anywhere else in the country there would be a better transport system for nine million people.”

The Prime Minister visited the Camira Fabrics factory, in Meltham, near Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, which is making the fabric for the new TransPennine Express trains.

Sir Keir joked to the staff that they would be busy as the TRU is set to double the capacity of the line between York, Leeds and Manchester.

The £11.5 billion project involves electrifying the 76-mile route, building new tracks, installing digital signalling equipment and upgrading stations. It is due to be completed by 2033.

The project, first announced back in 2011, will increase capacity – allowing eight more trains to run each hour – improve reliability.

It will also cut journey times, so people can travel between York and Manchester in 61 minutes and from Leeds to Manchester in 42 minutes.

Sir Keir told The Yorkshire Post that this would “make a significant difference” and said the fresh funding had been “warmly welcomed”.

“It’s going to increase the efficiency of our service hugely,” he explained.

“It’s going to double the capacity of the service - whoever is making the fabric for the seats, you’re going to be very busy.”

He said it would minimise the human cost of poor transport, be it missing NHS appointments to struggling to see family and friends.

The Yorkshire Post understands that £415m will go towards operating the diversionary services, while the work is ongoing into the early 2030s.

It will also be used to modernise the trains and up-skill the workforce to prepare for the new line, signalling and vehicles.

On the way to the carpet factory, the Prime Minister’s own train was delayed.

He said: “Huddersfield station is fantastic, with the square outside - Harold Wilson looking good as he stands there as he always does.

“The downside was - if you can believe it - the train was late. That is I’m sure for you a pretty frequent experience.”

Sir Keir referenced his time living in Leeds as a student and visiting his late brother, who lived in the city.

“I’ve got a number of friends around the Leeds area so I’m actually here a lot,” he explained.

“I’m on the railway quite a lot, and in my experience it’s late more often than it’s on time.”

The Yorkshire Post asked the Prime Minister on the future of Northern Powerhouse Rail, the long-promised high-speed line connecting Hull to Liverpool.

Sir Keir said the next steps are to “work with local leaders on exactly how that £1.7bn is spent, because I'm absolutely convinced that decisions about transport in Yorkshire or elsewhere are best made by people in Yorkshire and their representatives”.

While West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin commented: “We are not sitting on our hands waiting for something that has been promised for decades to be given to us. We're just getting on and delivering.

“And whether that's a new station in Bradford, whether that's extra capacity at Leeds station, I know that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor want to unlock the opportunity of West Yorkshire.”

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The £1.7bn being spent this year and what is committed so far is necessary but not sufficient.”

He said that NPR “including new lines as well as upgrades, with benefits from the North West across to Hull and up to the North East – is still needed in the longer term”.