Direction needed

Railway row does not bode well

BOTH BORIS Johnson’s Government and Transport for the North say they are stridently in favour of improving this region’s transport links to unlock economic growth, with Northern Powerhouse Rail a central part of that strategy. But given that they have such a shared overall ambition, it is concerning to see an apparent division over what exactly it should involve.

Transport for the North has raised concerns that the flagship Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme is currently being talked about by Government largely in terms of the Manchester to Leeds leg, with no commitment to going further. In response, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said Transport for the North needs to develop plans for the scheme properly – using £100m of funding that has been provided to the transport body for such a purpose – before anything further can be agreed.

While this appears sensible, so does Transport for the North’s response that work on upgrading existing lines – such as Sheffield to Hull and Leeds to Newcastle – could be started in the next few years as part of the wider project.

For ordinary people in Yorkshire and the rest of the north of England who have spent years having to cope with inadequate transport infrastructure, any fingerpointing and playing the blame game between the parties involved is of no use – they simply want this scheme and others like it delivered as soon as is practicable.

Both the Government and transport bosses need to do their utmost to bring the project to fruition – that is far less likely to happen if they are travelling in different directions on the issue at this early stage.