Jim McMahon comments on the announcement of new transport body Northern Transport Acceleration Council and rail upgrade projects

Jim McMahon MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the announcement of a new transport body Northern Transport Acceleration Council and rail upgrade projects:

“Whilst we welcome an announcement of devolution of transport powers, we’ve heard all this before. Transport for the North was set up to deliver the same aims as this new body, yet it had its roles and responsibilities pulled from underneath it.

“The geographical divide in transport spending has exacerbated under the Tories. Transport spending in the North is two and half terms lower than in London. If the North had seen the same per person investment as London over the last decade, it would have received £66 billion more.

“The Government need to deliver tangible action and give the funding and powers needed to rebalance infrastructure spending across the country.”

Ends

Notes to editors

1.The government has flip flopped on electrifying and upgrading the transPennine route.

It was a 2015 Tory manifesto commitment that they then scrapped later in 2015.

Guardian, 25 June 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/the-northerner/2015/jun/25/northern-powerhouse-tories-transpennine-sheffield-mainline-upgrades-cancelled

It was subsequently unscrapped and then mooted for another cancellation in 2018

Rail Journal, 18 June 2018 https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/british-transport-secretary-confirms-trans-pennine-electrification/

Finally it’s been renounced every six months since with limited progress made.

“We are still working with the Department for Transport on the specific details for the Transpennine Upgrade”

Network rail, https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/railway-upgrade-plan/key-projects/transpennine-route-upgrade/

2.Northern Powerhouse rail was first announced six years ago and is still yet to be formally approved by the Government.

In June 2014, then Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds

BBC News, 24 June 2014, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27969885

In April 2020, it was revealed that the Government still hasn’t approved the plans yet.

Yorkshire, 24 April 2020, https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/any-start-high-speed-rail-north-still-several-years-away-government-adviser-warns-2548923

3.Tory broken promises on transport

Promise Scrap Pacer trains

Yorkshire Post, 29 April 2015,https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/latest-news/osborne-what-we-ll-do-for-yorkshire-in-first-100-days-1-7235065?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Broken: Pacer trains are still being used on Yorkshire’s railways this year.

Yorkshire Post, 30 June 2019,https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/pledge-to-scrap-pacer-trains-this-year-set-to-be-broken-due-to-defects-with-northern-s-new-fleet-1-9849036

Promise Rail fare freeze.

Yorkshire Post, 29 April 2015,https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/latest-news/osborne-what-we-ll-do-for-yorkshire-in-first-100-days-1-7235065?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Broken: Regulated rail fares, which include season tickets and most other commuter tickets, will have risen by 40 per cent on average between 2010 and 2020.

Promise Electric trains between Hull and Selby

Yorkshire Post, 29 April 2015,https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/latest-news/osborne-what-we-ll-do-for-yorkshire-in-first-100-days-1-7235065?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Broken: In November 2016, it emerged that the Government had scrapped plans to electrify the line from Selby to Hull.

York Press, 18 November 2016,https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14912680.rail-users-hit-out-as-selby-hull-rail-improvements-are-axed/

Promise: Develop a case for the electrification of rail lines linking Birmingham to Bristol and Derby as well as the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Sheffield.

The Telegraph, 12 Febraury 2015, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/11408347/David-Cameron-tries-his-hand-at-driving-a-train.html

Long Term Plan for the Midlands, 12 February 2015, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/long-term-economic-plan-for-the-midlands-announced-by-prime-minister-and-chancellor

Broken: In July 2017, the government has scrapped the planned electrification of railway lines in Wales, the Midlands and the North.

“Electrification of the Midlands Main Line north of Bedford was announced in 2012, but work on the project was suspended in June 2015 pending a review into Network Rail’s capital programme for the 2014-2019 funding period (Control Period 5). The suspension was lifted in September 2015, but the completion date was pushed back to 2019 for the line to Kettering and Corby, and 2023 for the remainder of the route to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.”

Rail Journal, 5 March 2019, https://www.railjournal.com/regions/europe/britain-cancels-major-electrification-projects/

BBC News, 20 July 2017, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40669869

Promise: The Intercity Express Programme, serving the East Coast Mainline, will ensure passengers will benefit from more reliable services, more seats, increased luggage space, faster journey times (from 2019), and improved wi-fi and mobile coverage.

Long Term Plan for the North East, 27 February 2015, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/long-term-economic-plan-for-the-north-east-announced-by-chancellor

Broken: The percentage of trains which have been ‘significantly late’ and ‘cancelled’ on the East Coast Mainline have doubled since 2015.

London North East Railway (Virgin Trains East Coast), 2018-19, https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/compendia/toc-key-statistics/

Promise: Complete Metrolink extension to Trafford Park by 2019

Long Term Plan for the North West, 8 January 2015,

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/long-term-economic-plan-for-the-north-west-set-out-by-prime-minister-and-chancellor

Broken: The Trafford Park Line did not open until March 2020

https://trafford-park.tfgm.com/

4.IPPR North’s analysis of historic spending figures shows that London has received on average more than twice as much public transport spending per capita than the North or the UK over the last 10 years (2008/09–2017/18).

·London received £739 per capita each year.

·The North received £305 per capita each year.

·The UK as a whole received £368 per capita each year.

·London has therefore received 2.4 times more public spending per capita on transport than the North, and two times more public spending on transport than on the UK as a whole, on average, each year for the past 10 years.

The gap between per capita transport spending in London and per capita spending in the North has increased in the last 10 years.

·Spending on London has increased by £409 per capita since 2007/08.

·Spending on the North increased by £162 per capita since 2007/08.

·Spending on the UK increased by £157 per capita since 2007/08.

·Spending on London has therefore increased by 2.5 times more per capita than on the North and 2.6 times more per capita than the UK as a whole.

If the North had received the same amount per person as London over the last 10 years, then £66 billion more would have been spent in the North.

IPPR north report - Transport investment in the northern powerhouse 2019 update, https://www.ippr.org/files/2019-08/transport-investment-in-the-northern-powerhouse-august19.pdf

5.Over the last decade all but two regions have seen a reduction in investment per person.

Investment per person in some parts of the country, including Yorkshire is still less than half that seen in London.

Spending data comes from the Treasury’s Country and Regional Analysis
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/country-and-regional-analysis-2019#:~:text=The%20country%20and%20regional%20analysis,countries%20and%209%20English%20regions.

Real terms figures use the Treasury’s GDP deflator
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-march-2020-budget