The Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has confirmed that high-speed rail and Northern Powerhouse are a priority for the new government.
In a speech in Leeds yesterday, he spoke passionately about “the power of transport to change things” and pledges “not to waste a moment” on working with regional leaders to create a Northern Powerhouse of jobs, prosperity, bright futures and closing the gap between south and north; and
In a signal of intent, the Transport Secretary said “nothing is more important” than growth and infrastructure and confirmed the government is moving forward with plans for east-west high-speed rail links and will invest £13 billion in transforming northern transport this Parliament.
The Transport Secretary said the election result was a massive vote of confidence in favour of High Speed 2 (HS2) and confirmed construction is on track to start in 2017. Work is also well underway on developing plans for high-speed east-west rail links.
He confirmed that £13 billion government funding would be invested to transform transport infrastructure in the north over the next five years – better connecting up the region so that northern towns and cities can pool their strengths and create a single economy, helping Britain better compete on the world stage.
And he pledged that the north will be empowered to shape its own future – by devolving power away from Whitehall. He said that by the autumn, Transport for the North (TfN) – the body established by the government to work with it on delivering a Northern Transport Strategy – will have a new independent chair to speak on behalf of the north with one voice on delivering improved train and bus services, rolling out smart ticketing, looking after passengers, reducing road congestion and speeding up links to ports and airports.
The HS2 hybrid Bill committee will restart Parliamentary scrutiny of the bill for phase one – between London and Birmingham – shortly.
The government will announce the way forward for phase two from Birmingham to Leeds and to Manchester, later this year. During this Parliament the government will also make significant strides in getting HS2 to the north sooner, maximising the benefits of the transformational scheme which will free up space on the crowded rail network, improve connectivity, promote regeneration, boost skills and generate tens of thousands of jobs.
The Transport Secretary confirmed that legislation would be prepared in this Parliament, looking at bringing HS2 to Crewe faster than planned, subject to further analysis and decisions on the preferred route.
Building on the concept of High Speed 3 (HS3), the government will also progress plans to transform east to west rail connectivity with high-speed services linking Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull, radically reducing travel times, increasing frequencies and improving the customer experience.
