Updated
10.45

The
Prime
Minister


is
promising
that
£1.7
billion
will
be
invested
in
transport
systems
in
the
north
of
England.

The
plans,
which
Sir
Keir
Starmer
is
set
to
confirm
today
during
a
factory
visit
in
the
region,
include
an
upgrade
to
the
Liverpool-Hull
corridor.
The
Transpennine
railway
between
Manchester,
Leeds
and
York
will
receive
a
further
£415
million.

Other
key
projects
which
the
Prime
Minister
has
highlighted
include
a
tram
system
for
West
Yorkshire,
the
new
Merseyrail
station
at
the
Baltic
Triangle,
which
shoukd
be
complete
by
2028,
and
a
tram/bus
interchange
at
Bury,
which
will
receive
£80
million.

The
Prime
Minister
said:
‘The
North
is
home
to
a
wealth
of
talent
and
ingenuity.
But
for
too
long,
it
has
been
held
to
ransom
by
a
Victorian-era
transport
system
which
has
stifled
its
potential.
I
lived
in
Leeds
for
years,
I
get
that
this
has
real-world
impacts
–
missed
appointments,
children
late
to
school,
work
meetings
rescheduled
–
all
leading
to
insecurity
and
instability
for
working
people.

‘My
government
won’t
stand
by
and
watch.
We
are
rolling
up
our
sleeves,
and
today’s
downpayment
for
growth
is
a
vote
of
confidence
in
the
North’s
world-beating
industries.
The
film
studios
in
Bradford,
life
sciences
in
Liverpool,
the
fintech
industry
in
Leeds
–
it
is
time
they
had
a
government
on
their
side
to
get
the
North
motoring
again.

‘After
years
of
false
promises
and
under
delivery,
this
government
is
delivering
real
change
for
the
North.
We
are
spending
double
as
much
on
local
transport
in
the
North
than
the
South,
all
done
hand-in-hand
with
our
mayors
and
local
leaders.
Through
our
Plan
for
Change,
we
are
upgrading
transport
in
the
North,
we
are
correcting
years
of
unfairness
that
has
gone
before,
and
we
are
better
linking
our
historic
towns
and
cities.
That
means
boosting
living
standards,
putting
more
money
in
the
pockets
of
working
people,
and
restoring
pride
to
communities.’

Transpennine
Route
Upgrade
managing
director
James
Richardson
said:
‘The
government’s
continued
support
for
TRU
is
a
clear
vote
of
confidence
in
the
work
we
are
doing,
which
is
an
enabler
to
releasing
the
economic
potential
of
the
North.
This
funding
supports
our
onward
journey
to
be
truly
transformational,
delivering
faster,
more
reliable
rail
services
that
connect
people
to
jobs,
education,
and
leisure
opportunities.

‘By
improving
connectivity
and
increasing
capacity,
we
are
not
only
enhancing
journeys
for
customers
but
also
helping
to
drive
up
investment
supporting
more
housing
and
more
jobs
and
boosting
productivity
across
the
region.’

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