THE UK Government has been accused of a “betrayal of trust” as it set out its long-awaited revised plans for Northern England and the Midlands.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) would slash journey times across the region with 110 miles of new high-speed line.
But Labour said the package unveiled in the House of Commons abandoned previous assurances given on the extension of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
The key points of the IRP are:
– The extension of HS2 from the East Midlands to Leeds has been scrapped. HS2 trains will instead run on existing lines.
– NPR between Leeds and Manchester will be a combination of new track and enhancements to existing infrastructure.
– Plans to fully electrify the Midland Main Line and the Transpennine route, and upgrade the East Coast Main Line.
The decision to cut back HS2 will make journeys between Leeds and London 32 minutes longer than previously planned.
Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said it was “the betrayal of trust, the betrayal of promises and the betrayal of investment the north of England and the Midlands deserve”.
He told MPs: “There is no amount of gloss, no amount of spin that can be put on this.
“He promised HS2 to Leeds, he promised Northern Powerhouse Rail, he promised that the North would not be forgotten. But he hasn’t just forgotten us, he has completely sold us out.”
Conservative MPs also called out the Government over the change.
Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the rail announcement as his constituency is one of the most “socially-deprived” parts of the UK.
He told MPs: “The Bradford district has been, in my view, completely short-changed. We are one of the most socially-deprived parts of the UK and we must get better transport connectivity, and I still want to see Northern Powerhouse Rail delivered with a main stop in Bradford, so that we can unlock our economic opportunities.
“Can he explain to the House what the Government is doing to deliver better, more reliable and cheap rail services for my constituency in Keighley?”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps replied: “Let me just make sure he understands and appreciates the full relevance of today.
“Twelve-minute journey from Bradford to Leeds, that’s nearly half of the current journey time. Thirty minutes off, at least, off the Bradford to London journey after these upgrades are complete.”
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