Shapps: Transport works will go ahead

INVESTMENT: Grant Shapps says the Government will press ahead with its transport investment plans, despite millions choosing to work from home during the lockdown.

The Transport Secretary said he did not think passengers being discouraged from using public transport, would deter people “in the longer run”.

GRANT SHAPPS has insisted the Government will press ahead with its transport investment plans, despite millions of people choosing to work from home rather than travel by bus or train during the lockdown.

The Transport Secretary said he did not think the coronavirus pandemic and months of lockdown, where passengers have been discouraged from using public transport, would deter people “in the longer run”.

And he said upgrades to transport infrastructure were often easier when fewer people were using the network, meaning now was “the time to invest”.

Earlier this month, a transport expert appointed by the Government to run the North’s biggest rail operator said he feared passengers were not “psychologically ready” to return to train travel in large numbers after months of being told to avoid public transport.

Richard George said he was worried about the long-term finances of rail operators, due to the lack of passengers travelling by train, amid fears it could be up to a decade before demand returned to pre-lockdown levels.

Passenger numbers plummeted from March onwards as the Government advised people to avoid public transport where possible and it has been mandatory since June for passengers to wear a face covering.

Social-distancing restrictions mean trains could only carry a fraction of their normal numbers. And though the number of services increased in May and earlier this month, demand for trains is currently around 20 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Mr Shapps, who this week announced £589m for upgrades to the trans-Pennine route connecting Leeds with York, Manchester and Harrogate, said investment in rail was just as much of a priority, despite people’s changing habits.

He told The Yorkshire Post: “My answer is definitely yes. I don’t know about you but I have boundless enthusiasm and optimism about the future.

“I don’t believe Covid will stop us from progressing again. It’s obviously been in the short term a huge hit but I don’t think in the longer run it will stop people from travelling.

“It is a bit like in 2003 when Skype was invented. Everyone imagined people would stop travelling around because you can freely video conference.

“And yet here we are, all these years later. The number of people using trains, for example, has gone up, year on year on year.

“And I think the same is true, people will get back to travelling. I’m not saying everyone will, under every circumstance.

“I think there’s some rather good things that could come from this, including more remote working, more video conferencing.

“But in the end, all that will lead to a more vibrant economy and a bigger economy and people will still need to travel.

“So to the contrary, I think this is the time to invest, this is the time to get it done. And actually, some of it is a bit easier when there are fewer people on the network. So, for all those reasons, we must power ahead with the powerhouse.”

Mr Shapps said this week that the benefits of £589m in new funding for the 76-mile transPennine route connecting Leeds with Manchester, Huddersfield and York would be felt by passengers before the next scheduled General Election in 2024.

The funding will be used to speed up trains and boost reliability on the vital route by electrifying much of the line and doubling the number of tracks from two to four on congested stretches.

Covid was a huge hit but in the longer run won’t stop people travelling.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on £589m Transpennine upgrade.