Transport spending ‘must benefit whole country’

Over the weekend, minutes of a recent meeting of the board of HS2 Ltd, the body planning the new high speed rail link to the North, revealed concerns over the Treasury’s failure to sign off key parts of the project on time.

And yesterday the lobby group London First called on Ministers to begin drawing up plans for yet another new rail line for the capital – a £15bn ‘Crossrail 2’.

James Lewis, chairman of West Yorkshire transport authority Metro, said: “The high levels of investment we are seeing in London’s transport networks are important, but if this Government is committed to rebalancing the economy, this cannot be at the expense of other regions.

“We are still waiting for confirmation of its commitment to completing the Northern Hub project, a project vital for economic growth across the North.

“And there were reports of a ‘Whitehall feud’ over High Speed 2, which is supported by 96 per cent of recently-questioned Leeds City Region companies.

“It is important Ministers stand by their claims, take the wider view and ensure they make decisions that benefit the whole of the country and national economy.”