A Huddersfield rail expert says an ambitious £15bn plan to link northern towns and cities needs to use a tunnel that is already in existence rather than building a new one.
Huddersfield University visiting lecturer and Golcar resident Paul Salveson welcomed the suggestion to create a high speed trans-Pennine rail link between Leeds and Manchester, but gave several warnings before the project is given the green light.
His argument comes after a landmark report, called One North, was launched by representatives from five cities, which highlighted the need for a new tunnelled 125mph trans-Pennine route, better intercity transport and increasing the amount freight transported by rail.
It also follows a speech made by government chancellor George Osborne in June, in which he called for better transport links to create a ‘northern powerhouse’.
Commenting on the proposals Paul said: “I hope One North’s proposals are fully embraced and we achieve a consensus not only across the north but amongst politicians nationally.
“The new trans-Pennine crossing is at the core of their vision and it’s an idea that has been received with much greater acceptance than the proposals for HS2.”
However, he raised concerns about using the existing line that travels via Huddersfield and through the Diggle tunnel, reiterating the benefits of using the disused Woodhead route that linked Manchester to Sheffield as an alternative which he first mentioned in the Examiner earlier this summer. One end of the Woodhead Tunnel is at Dunford Bridge.
He said: “They haven’t been specific about where the line will run but it would be foolish to talk of an entirely new tunnel while a pretty good one – Woodhead – is sat there waiting for business.
“Using Woodhead, which will use a junction that will head north to Leeds and south to Sheffield and link the two, makes huge sense and avoids the cost and wider environmental challenges of an entirely new tunnel.”
He also highlighted worries about allowing the project to be run by the government’s Department for Transport ahead next year’s general election, instead of giving management to a northern alliance.
“The suspicion that it’s all an attempt to woo northern voters to vote Tory next May is hard to resist,” he said. “And would a future Labour Government, anxious to win support in the south, give it priority?
“The project is a perfect example of why the north needs a ‘One North’ government, which can unite the three regions and ensure that a strong regional voice is given to the north.”
