The Government’s defining mission is to unite and level up the whole of the UK, spreading prosperity and opportunity to all corners of our country. Previous plans would not have delivered benefits to the Midlands and the North for another two decades. Levelling up cannot wait until the 2040s so I support this plan which delivers more punctual, frequent and reliable journeys for people wherever they live.
Network North will transform rail infrastructure across the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, slashing journey times and bringing more benefits to more people more quickly.
To most destinations, both from London and on the core Northern Powerhouse Rail core route, the plan delivers journey times which are the same as, similar to, or faster than previous proposals. And further, it significantly increases capacity, delivering more reliable and more comfortable journeys for passengers and opportunities to grow rail freight.
Crucially, Network North delivers these transformational changes sooner, helping towns as well as big cities, protecting and improving services on existing lines and investing in shorter-distance local services which people use every day.
16/10/2023
