A £14 billion plan to fix Yorkshire’s “broken” rail system “presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” improve connectivity and unlock economic growth in the region, former home secretary Lord Blunkett has said.
The Labour peer has published an infrastructure plan with the metro mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire, which calls on the Government to deliver on repeated promises to back transport in the north of England.
He said Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail would deliver a huge boost to jobs, growth and new housing.
The plan is being launched by Lord Blunkett in Leeds on Friday alongside West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, and York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith, who signed the White Rose Agreement earlier this year to work together.
Lord Blunkett said: “Yorkshire has been punching under its weight for far too long, and with the White Rose Agreement and this infrastructure plan, the three mayors are determined to reverse this historic trend.
“It’s been a pleasure to be asked to pull together this credible and affordable plan, which presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve rail connectivity and unlock economic growth and opportunities for all.
“By taking action now, the benefits of releasing capacity, speeding up journeys, improving reliability and running more frequent services will be felt not just here, but across the North, Midlands and beyond.
“It’s time to back Yorkshire.”
Lord Blunkett’s review outlines how a “creaking Victorian-era infrastructure” is holding back a region of 4.6 million people, with poor and unreliable services regularly failing to meet the needs of passengers and businesses.
It sets out a need for substantial investment as part of the Government’s proposed 10-year infrastructure plan and spending review later this year, with £2.4 billion required between now and 2030, and approximately £14 billion in total.
The report outlines the need for increasing capacity at Leeds, Sheffield and York stations, building a new through-station for Bradford and a mainline station at Rotherham.
It also recommends upgrades and electrification between Leeds and Sheffield and increasing the frequency of services for places including Scarborough, the Esk Valley, Penistone Line and Wakefield district’s Five Towns.
It said targeted rail investment has the potential to add £20 billion to the region’s economy and could help generate an extra 83,000 jobs.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Ms Brabin said: “A lack of investment stretching back decades has left Yorkshire with a rail network no longer fit for purpose.
“This is holding back ambitious growth plans for our regions which will put more money in people’s pockets.
“We owe it to everyone, especially younger generations, to secure our fair share of funding so the region’s train services are suitable for the modern age, getting passengers to where they need to go, when they want to go.”
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire Mr Skaith said: “Working together, we can drive real change and boost opportunities across our region.
“This is a credible, long-term plan to deliver the connectivity our communities need – creating better access to jobs, education and investment.”
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Mr Coppard said: “David Blunkett has, for the first time, made clear the problems created by decades of under-investment across the whole of Yorkshire and given us a plan for fixing them, working together across the whole of God’s Own Country.”
He added: “Ultimately, we simply want reliable, effective rail services, so we can get to work, see friends and family or just go for a night out.
“Through this plan, there is a pathway with a phased approach to fix our broken rail system.”
The Department for Transport said it will consider Lord Blunkett’s recommendations carefully, stressing that it is committed to improving transport across the North.
A spokesman said: “Reliable and affordable public transport links are essential for supporting jobs and driving economic growth, key to our Plan for Change, and making travelling quicker, easier, and greener.
“We are investing in the North and delivering transformational projects across the region, such as the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade, and we’re maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail by progressing planning and design works to support future delivery.
“We will continue to work with local leaders to improve rail connectivity.”
It said it has asked Network Rail to maintain development work for updates at Leeds, Sheffield, and Bradford, and is supporting West Yorkshire’s mass transit plans by providing £200 million development funding.
The department also said is had prioritised funding to develop plans for a new Rotherham Mainline station and to renew the Supertram network, connecting Sheffield and Rotherham.
And it said that, under Great British Railways, there will be a statutory role for devolved leaders in governing, managing, planning and developing the rail network.
