Tracy Brabin and Dan Jarvis urge Yorkshire's Tory MPs to back vote on rail plan rethink

An Opposition Day debate is to take place in the House of Commons today calling for Boris Johnson to deliver previously-promised northern rail projects "in full".

Last month’s Integrated Rail Plan from the Government has shortened the HS2 route to end in the East Midlands rather than Yorkshire, while the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail network between Liverpool and Hull has been substantially downgraded from the original vision.

Instead of the full new high-speed line between Manchester, Bradford and Leeds that had been hoped for, new track will run from Warrington to Marsden just inside the Yorkshire border before joining existing line.

The motion from Labour "calls on the Government to deliver the new northern rail investment promised by the Prime Minister in full and further calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to update the House in person before January 2022 on his department's cost-benefit ratio analysis for the revised HS2 line".

The joint letter from West Yorkshire Mayor Ms Brabin and South Yorkshire Mayor Mr Jarvis, which has been sent to all Yorkshire and Humber MPs, says: “We are writing to urge you to stand up for our region by supporting the Opposition Day Motion in Parliament today.

“While the rail plan announced by Ministers has let down all the North, Yorkshire is getting a particularly bad deal. HS2 will now stop south of Nottingham, whilst plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail – a new high speed line between Leeds and Manchester, with a crucial stop in central Bradford – have been dropped.

“Today, you have a chance to send a strong message that the rail investment that was promised to Yorkshire must be delivered.”

It adds that local people “understandably feel betrayed” after repeated Government promises about rail investment in HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“It is time for us all to step up,” it states.

“Today, you can send a strong message that promises made must be kept, and that the full investment promised by the Prime Minister must be delivered.

“Together, we can build a railway that will last a hundred years or more – one that lives up to our Yorkshire values and fulfils the promise of our region for generations to come.”

The debate is expected to begin around 4pm.

Rail plan to cut journey times

The Government’s Integrated Rail Plan proposals will see journey times between Leeds and Manchester cut from a current 55 minutes to 33 minutes.

It also states that its revised HS2 plans – which will see the Eastern Leg route end in the East Midlands rather than Leeds as had been originally planned – will still see HS2 services serve Yorkshire via Sheffield and see train times from the South Yorkshire city to London that are the same as what was originally proposed.

HS2 trains will run up to Sheffield on existing track from the East Midlands.

Read more:

Government must revive Bradford rail plans, says Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake

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