Clarity call over high-speed rail

NPR must not be downgraded

BORIS JOHNSON’S decision on the future of HS2 needs to be set in the context of the commitment which he made during the Tory leadership contest. “I want to be the Prime Minister who does Northern Powerhouse Rail,” he told Tory activists after unveiling a review into the financial viability of high-speed rail.

Yet, in recent weeks, Mr Johnson’s support for HS2 appears to be hardening

– he said on Brexit day that the only thing to do is “keep digging” – while his enthusiasm for NPR appears less clearcut amid fears the scheme is being downgraded. And this is why the Government must set out a timetable for both HS2, and Northern Powerhouse Rail, when it responds to the Oakervee review – capacity, rather than speed, is the key issue.

For, while there’s a likelihood the first leg of HS2 from London to Birmingham will go ahead, reports suggest that further analysis is needed into the planned eastern leg from the West Midlands to

Leeds. This at a time when a planned consultation document on NPR between Leeds and Manchester, including a new station to serve Bradford, appears to fall short of the expectations of leaders here.

A statement issued on behalf of Barry White, chief executive of Transport for the North, says the proposed blueprint “falls short of where we would like it to be” – strong words from such a senior official – while political and business leaders want assurances that HS2 and NPR will go forward in unison to maximise their potential. It is the only approach. In fairness, this Government is taking action over commuter services here – the Northern rail franchise is returning to public control. But it now needs to show similar commitment over high-speed rail if the North’s transport infrastructure is to match the region’s ambition. After all, London would not be expected to choose between Crossrail and HS2. Neither should this region.