The mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin has welcomed the government’s announcement of a major funding boost for rail infrastructure in her region and the wider North of England.
Last week, the prime minister Keir Starmer pledged that Northerners would no longer be “held to ransom” by a “Victorian era transport system”, offering what is said to be the largest investment package in decades.
Measures include nearly £1.7bn for local buses, roads and trams in the North this year, supported with a further £415m to “reboot” key railways across the Pennines, £270m investment in bus services, and £330m in road maintenance.
Brabin said: “This investment in the North’s transport network will help us unleash our ambitious plans to grow the economy, boost living standards and put more money in people’s pockets. The government’s commitment to a mass transit system for West Yorkshire is a game changer and will see trams back on the streets of Leeds and Bradford for the first time in 75 years.
“We know that you can’t boost the economy without the right infrastructure in place to get people to work and education – this will help unlock investment and jobs. We have heard the prime minster’s challenge to speed up delivery of key projects and we will rise to that with full confidence.”
Among the projects the prime minister urged local leaders to deliver are:
- A mass transit system for West Yorkshire, with the next stage of the business case expected in the Autumn – bringing growth to the largest city in Europe without a metro transport system
- A new Merseyrail station in the Baltic Triangle, starting works this Autumn and complete by Spring 2028
- The Bury Interchange redevelopment fast-tracked with £80m to improve bus and tram connectivity across Greater Manchester
The prime minister, Keir Starmer said: “The North is home to a wealth of talent and ingenuity. But for too long, it has been held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system which has stifled its potential. I lived in Leeds for years, I get that this has real-world impacts – missed appointments, children late to school, work meetings rescheduled – all leading to insecurity and instability for working people.
“My government won’t stand by and watch. We are rolling up our sleeves, and today’s down-payment for growth is a vote of confidence in the North’s world-beating industries. The film studios in Bradford, life sciences in Liverpool, the fintech industry in Leeds – it is time they had a government on their side to get the North motoring again.
“After years of false promises and under delivery, this government is delivering real change for the North. We are spending double as much on local transport in the North than the South, all done hand-in-hand with our mayors and local leaders.”
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor of the exchequer, said: “The transport system outside of London and the South East has been plagued by delays and cancellations, frustrated by strikes and failing infrastructure because upgrades that were promised were never delivered.
“That ends with our Plan for Change, because reliable and affordable public transport links are essential for kickstarting economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets across the Midlands and the North.”
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander added: “For too long, the North has been left behind and relied on a crumbling transport system that’s not fit to serve the great towns and cities it’s home to.
“The government’s Plan for Change will end that and schemes like the TransPennine Route Upgrade will bolster the region’s neglected potential and make travelling between these historic Northern towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.”
Once the TransPennine Route Upgrade is completed, it is predicted that journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds will be slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour, while journey times from Manchester to York will be reduced by 10 minutes.
Transport for the North welcomed the government’s funding announcements. The organisation’s chair, Lord McLoughlin said: “We welcome [the] announcement and the benefits it will deliver for transport users across the North. Investment in transport infrastructure and services is essential to enable people to access opportunities, reduce social exclusion and grow our economy.”
Main image: Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin
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