Yorkshire sidelined in massive £8bn rail investment

THE bulk of the Government's multi-billion-pound rail investment programme is to be spent in the South and there will be years of delays before much needed new carriages are brought onto overcrowded Yorkshire routes.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said there would be 2,100 new rail carriages by 2019 – but only 650 will be delivered by 2014, far fewer than the 1,300 promised by the former Labour government.

The 8bn programme will see 600m of investment on the Great Western line between London and Newbury and a commitment to fund "in its entirety" the cross-London Thameslink scheme.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is understood some Leeds stations and the East Coast Main line will be improved and there will be investment in light rail in Sheffield. However the region's transport chiefs were dismayed that the electrification of the Midland Mainline, connecting South Yorkshire to London, was not even mentioned.

The director general of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, David Brown, said: "We are frustrated that it will be five years before we see any new trains on the local rail network to ease overcrowding. We will continue to press for the Midland Main Line to be electrified as it is vitally important for the economies of the East Midlands and Yorkshire."

The Campaign for Better Transport said that northern cities would suffer continued underinvestment in the rail network and overcrowding for years to come.

Chief executive Stephen Joseph, said: "This announcement will worsen the north-south divide.

"The reality for passengers outside the South-East will be continued overcrowding and in many cases poor facilities."