Transport campaigners have echoed an Examiner campaign calling on the Government to think again over the decision to halt electrification of the trans Pennine line.
Campaign for Better Transport expressed concern that Chancellor George Osborne failed to support key rail investment in his Budget Statement. The organisation is relaunching its Right Track North campaign in order to hold the Government to account.
Martin Abrams, Public Transport Campaigner for Campaign for Better Transport said: “The Northern Powerhouse is at risk of completely unravelling.
“Key rail projects have been shelved and other much needed investments are under pressure.
“The Budget has not gone anywhere near far enough in rebalancing the economy and supporting northern cities. He now needs to take urgent action if he’s to stop the whole initiative sinking into the sand.”
Campaign for Better Transport has identified two key reasons why the Northern Powerhouse is under pressure.
They say the Department for Transport has stepped in to address under-performance at Network Rail. Many of the projects within Network Rail’s £38bn investment plan are now at risk of being delayed with no timetable for their resumption yet indicated.
And secondly committed investment in rail schemes connected with the Northern Powerhouse is currently less than 25% of the £13bn that the Department for Communities and Local Government has claimed.
The Campaign for Better Transport is relaunching its Right Track North campaign, which successfully helped make the case for investment in the north’s rail network under the last administration to be delivered through the Northern Transport Strategy and the refranchising of Northern Rail and TransPennine Express.
Collectively, this included major rail electrification projects, rolling stock replacements (including Pacers) and a single simplified ticketing for the whole of northern England all promised before the General Election.
Mr Abrams said: “The Government said it would deliver fast, high capacity and high quality rail connections across the north of England. This important commitment should not be renaged upon.
“We are relaunching our Right Track North campaign to hold Government to account make sure the vital investments are made to get the project back on track.”
Campaign for Better Transport, a registered charity, is a leading authority on sustainable transport, championing transport solutions that improve people’s lives and reduce environmental damage.
