Electrification of the TransPennine route between Leeds and Manchester via Huddersfield has officially been ‘paused’.

And it’s led to one local MP slamming the government for telling a “pack of lies” and another promising to raise the issue with the rail minister.

The government’s national £38 billion five year plan to overhaul Britain’s railways is being “reset” because it is “costing more and taking longer”, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said.

Mr McLoughlin blamed Network Rail for the problems and said none of the executive directors would get a bonus for the past year. Network Rail’s chairman has also been replaced.

Mr McLoughlin said: “Important aspects of Network Rail’s investment programme are costing more and taking longer. Electrification is difficult. The UK supply chain for the complex signalling works needs to be stronger, construction rates have been slow.

“It has taken longer to obtain planning consents from some local authorities than expected.

“But that is no excuse - all of these problems could and should have been foreseen by Network Rail.

“So I want to inform the House of the action I am taking to reset this programme and get it back on track.

“Meanwhile, the next franchise for the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester will bring modern trains and additional capacity.

“Current work on electrification will be paused.”

A fully electrified route was to be complete by 2018, but it emerged on June 10 the work faced delays.

A government report, published in January, mentioned an “element of uncertainty to some rail investment projects” and included “delays and rising costs” of the electrification programme.

Huddersfield Labour MP Barry Sheerman described himself as “hopping mad” adding: “I said it was all pie in the sky and it’s worse than that, it’s a pack of lies. So much for this great Northern Powerhouse dream.

“This reaffirms my opposition to HS2, behind the scenes a group of academics are saying the cost has doubled to £160m, how can we spend that much to get a few businessmen to London a few minutes quicker when we need faster, better local trains?

“We were promised this wonderful package of news, breaking promises brings politics into disrepute.”

Colne Valley Conservative MP Jason McCartney said: “It’s not been scrapped, it’s paused but I am deeply disappointed by it.

“Having served on the Transport Select Committee and having had Network Rail bosses in front of us it was clear for some time that Network Rail has been struggling to keep up with the ambitious rail projects.

“There are a lot of projects which are technical and complex. With the TransPennine route we were hearing that bridges in Marsden would have to close for months on end with huge disruption, and that’s just one area along the route.

“I do still want electrification but I want for us to get it right.

“Network Rail has had a shake-up, to me that shows the Transport Secretary was not happy.

“Sir Peter Hendy (the new chairman) has vast experience heading Transport for London and I hope he can revitalise this.”

The Conservative MP says he will meet rail minister Claire Perry in his role as chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Rail in the North Group and the electrification will be top of his agenda.