Tom Gordon MP condemns threatened cuts to TransPennine railway upgrade.

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Lib Dem MP, Tom Gordon, has criticised potential government plans to cut funding from the planned upgrade of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds. Planned upgrades to this route have been in the works for some time, but little work has yet taken place.

There are concerns that funding will be cut for the project in the upcoming autumn budget, with knock-on effects on growth and the regional economy of the North of England. It is believed that the project east of Leeds has been asked to find £50 million in savings, and the same has been asked of the west. 

Commenting, Tom said: 

“The continued delays and potential cuts to the TransPennine rail upgrade are a striking example of the Labour government’s hollow promises on growth. 

“If they are serious about boosting economic prosperity, they must prioritise essential infrastructure projects like this. 

“The Manchester to Leeds route is notorious for its unreliability and overcrowding, and further delays or cutbacks will not only hunder regional connectivity but undermine confidence in the North’s economic future. It will also continue the pattern of more being spent per head in the South, and limit opportunities and life chances for those living in the North. 

“The government cannot claim to be pro-growth whilst neglecting investments that would power local economies and create jobs. Labour’s ambition for growth rings hollow if they fail to deliver on the infrastructure that is so crucial to regional and national development.” 

The Financial Times article can be found here: https://www.ft.com/content/be9cf2d2-7c41-4322-88f9-2ac1a21a3c06

What plans she has to ensure that the vital upgrades to the Trans-Pennine routes go ahead. 

Whether she has assessed the impact of delaying the Trans-Pennine route upgrades on the economy and users of the railways.