Integrated Rail Plan: initial response from Campaign for Better Transport

Reacting to the announcement of the Integrated Rail Plan, Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:

"There is much to welcome in the Integrated Rail Plan. Investment on this scale shows confidence in rail, and the Government is right that improvements should be implemented as quickly and affordably as possible. We welcome the commitments to electrification and to improving local transport: the Leeds metro, for instance, will make a real difference to everyday journeys.

"However, it is vital that abysmally-connected Bradford is not left behind - the city needs and deserves much better-integrated and faster rail connections to both Leeds and Manchester as a matter of priority.

"This is a plan for the future but we also need action now. Central to this must be ensuring that services are priced competitively to attract people to trains. We need fundamental reform of fares as a matter of urgency, but one thing Government could do immediately is freeze rail fares for 2022 to get more people on rail now."

On the costs of rail infrastructure, Paul Tuohy said:

"The Government must closely monitor the costs of the promised improvements to ensure that they are delivered at good value."