A rail investment package of £96billion is to be announced today to boost travel links across the North.
Boris Johnson called it the largest transport investment program in a century, and said that no city or town would be left behind.
However only £40billion is new funding because the package includes most of the cost of HS2 from London to Crewe – money already announced.
The amount spent is still much lower than if the Government followed through with its initial plans.
Today, Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary will unveil the plan and confirm that the HS3 link between Manchester and Leeds has been abandoned.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed the £96billion package as the biggest transport investment programme in a century
Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to confirm that the HS3 line linking Manchester and Leeds is being ditched
And also, the east leg of HS2 that links Birmingham with Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds is being axed.
Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: ‘We won’t be hoodwinked into believing we’re getting £96billion for a transport revolution in the North.
The other half is for Phase 1. It only goes so far as Birmingham. In addition, half the HS2 budget on the eastern leg has disappeared altogether.’
Revisions to the plans focus on improving existing lines in order to decrease journey times through the North and Midlands. Some new tracks will also be laid.
The National Infrastructure Commission last year proposed scaling back HS2’s eastern leg in favour of improving east-west links.
A second report – the Oakervee Review –also raised questions about the best way to deliver improved rail connectivity.
The Government last night insisted journey times would be ‘the same, similar to or faster’ than the original HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
Two tunnelling machines located at the South Portal HS2 Align compound in Rickmansworth (Hertfordshire). The Government has said journey times would be ‘the same, similar to or faster’ than the original HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail plans
The report stated that better east-west links between major North-Middles cities would be possible up to ten more years.
Mr Johnson said: ‘If we are to see levelling up in action now, we must rapidly transform the services that matter to people most.
‘That’s why the integrated rail plan will be the biggest transport investment programme in a century, delivering meaningful transport connections for more passengers across the country, more quickly – with both high-speed journeys and better local services, it will ensure no town or city is left behind.’
It is possible to reduce journey times from Manchester to Leeds by half an hour if you take 50 minutes.
They would have been cut to 25 minutes under the original plan. Ministers have also stated that the travel times between Birmingham and Nottingham will drop from 72 minutes down to 27, while those from Birmingham and Manchester will go from 90 to 40 minutes.
However, the National Infrastructure Commission has calculated that there will be less capacity.
The plans will create space for around 21,000 additional commuters to Leeds, as opposed to the 42,000 previously. Bradford will experience a similar decrease in capacity
Labour’s transport spokesman Jim McMahon said: ‘It’s laughable that the Government expects people in the North to be grateful for some half-baked and repackaged plans, as they attempt to quietly back out of promises made on the vital major infrastructure projects those communities need so badly.
‘Failure to deliver on HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail – schemes ministers have committed to dozens of times – is not only insulting, it is actively holding back investment and opportunity that could benefit millions.’