Truss pledges support for Northern Powerhouse Rail

Liz Truss has committed to building all of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme if she becomes Prime Minister.

Speaking in Leeds (where she grew up) on July 28, Truss said: “I know how poor the transport is and, frankly, it’s not got much better since I was a teenager getting the bus into Leeds city centre.

“What I want to see is really fantastic rail services and better roads, so people are able to get into work.”

Her comments come nine months after the Government heavily diluted plans for NPR, when it announced the Integrated Rail Plan. The eastern leg of HS2 was deleted, and further cuts have subsequently been made to NPR.

Truss backs the upgrade and new-build sections of the Liverpool to Hull route, saying it is “absolutely crucial for the future of the north of England”.

She added: “We will build the Northern Powerhouse Rail to link up communities and unlock potential across the North. That’s how we will bring better jobs to the North and address productivity.”

Truss did not explain how her government would pay for it, saying only that she would “fix the Treasury’s funding formula” so that the North received a fairer share of transport investment.