North of England:
Transport Connections
(Colne Valley) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in the north of England.
(Penistone and
Stocksbridge) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in the north of England.
(Warrington South) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in the north of England.
(Cheadle) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in the north of England.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Building on the £29 billion invested in northern transport since
2010, this Government are delivering improved connectivity to
level up the north.
[V]
Does the Minister agree that we need a fully integrated transport
network across the north, with smart ticketing? It is not a
question of either/or; we need regular affordable bus services as
well as the HS2 eastern leg, as well as Northern Powerhouse Rail,
as well as electrification of TransPennine rail
and as well as, finally, upgrades to the
Huddersfield-Penistone-Sheffield line.
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Better transport is
central to the Government’s agenda to level up the north. The
TransPennine route upgrade is already under way,
our national bus strategy is being delivered and we will soon
publish our integrated rail plan for the midlands and the north,
ensuring that transformational rail improvements are delivered as
quickly as possible.
Mr Speaker
It is just that we need the TransPennine trains
to go through Chorley, not Wigan.
[V]
The Penistone line in my constituency connects major Yorkshire
towns and cities such as Sheffield, Barnsley and Huddersfield, as
well as serving smaller communities such as Penistone and
Dodworth, but with only one train per hour in each direction, it
does not meet the needs of local people or businesses. I have
just submitted a bid to the levelling-up fund, with my hon.
Friend the Member for Dewsbury (), to upgrade the Penistone line and improve the
service, but does the Minister agree that we must invest in these
secondary commuter lines in the north if we are to see the same
benefits in our city regions that other parts of the country
already enjoy?
I agree with my hon. Friend that we must improve connectivity to
all our communities in the north—especially Chorley—and I welcome
her commitment to improving services on the Penistone line. Bids
to the £4.8 billion levelling-up fund are being assessed, and we
expect to announce the outcome of that competition in the autumn.
As the number of commuters travelling from Warrington gradually
starts to increase again, does the Minister agree that east-west
links from Warrington will really benefit from investment? Could
I ask my hon. Friend to update the House on plans to extend
Northern Powerhouse Rail from Manchester to Liverpool via
Warrington Bank Quay, and does he agree with me that the £2
billion allocated for the Golborne spur could be better spent on
helping local rail links across the north-west of England?
The Government remain absolutely committed to Northern Powerhouse
Rail and, as ever, my hon. Friend makes a powerful case for
Warrington. As he knows, decisions on the routes for NPR and
consideration of the Golborne spur are matters for the integrated
rail plan, so he will have to be patient just a little bit
longer, but I can assure him that his representations have been
heard.
[V]
Connectivity is key to levelling up northern communities, so I
welcome the Government’s commitment to reversing Beeching cuts
and restoring rail connections to towns across the region,
including through the towns funding for a new railway station in
Cheadle town centre. Delivering that connectivity is about
timetabling and joined-up services, as well as the rail
infrastructure itself. What is the Minister doing to work with
Transport for Greater Manchester and other stakeholders to ensure
that an integrated service is delivered and provides the regular
connections that Cheadle and other communities in the region
need?
Through the Manchester recovery taskforce, of which Transport for
Greater Manchester is a member, we are working with organisations
across the rail industry to develop the service and
infrastructure options that will address the congestion and
reliability issues across Greater Manchester and, I hope, improve
the experience of all rail passengers across the region.
(Slough) (Lab)
This Government have a track record of over-promising and
under-delivering. We know that if the north had received the same
investment as London over the last decade, it would have seen £66
billion more. For all their bluff and bluster about levelling up
in the north, what do we see? Services between Newcastle and
Manchester to be halved, the proposed increase in the frequency
of services between Teesside, Sunderland and Newcastle scrapped,
Transport for the North’s budget to be cut by 40%, and now
Government sources saying that they plan to pull the plug on
Northern Powerhouse Rail. Just to ensure that there is no further
backtracking, will the Minister guarantee that Northern
Powerhouse Rail will be delivered in full, on time and on budget?
Of course, the hon. Gentleman tempts me to prejudge the
integrated rail plan, which I will not do, because no decisions
have been taken yet. However, I am happy to confirm that we are
getting on with investing in Transport for the North; we are not
waiting for the integrated rail plan to be delivered. On top of
the billions of pounds that we have already invested in transport
across the north, just on 26 May we announced two new stations
outside Leeds—White Rose and Thorpe Park—and we announced an
additional £317 million for the TransPennine
route upgrade. Of course, over 60% of the region is now covered
with metro Mayors, with historic devolution settlements. We are
getting on with investing in the north of England.
