Robert Goodwill has welcomed the Government’s publication of a blueprint for how £13 billion of government investment in transport will help create the Northern Powerhouse. This blueprint will show how we are delivering record investment in transport infrastructure for people in Scarborough and Whitby and across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Creating a Northern Powerhouse means rebalancing the nation’s economy, and capitalising on the fundamental strengths of North Yorkshire and cities across the North. The Government is investing £13 billion on transport in the North of England in this Parliament alone and with the creation of Transport for the North, the North will be firmly in the driving seat.
With the North Doncaster Chord already complete, we’ve removed a bottleneck in South Yorkshire and created room for more passenger services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). We’re also bringing brand new Hitachi Intercity Express trains to the ECML, built in Britain as part of a £5.7 billion total investment. This means more and faster services with more seats and greater reliability for people across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Other projects underway include upgrading the last sections of the A1 in Yorkshire to a motorway – with the full A1 (M) to Newcastle opening by 2017; upgrading the A628 between South Yorkshire and Manchester; dualling the A61 in Yorkshire, and; upgrading the A19 from York to Newcastle to expressway standard as well as upgrading the A64 to address the capacity problems on the Hopgrove section.
Mr Goodwill said:
‘I welcome this blueprint for investment in transport across the North as a demonstration of the Conservatives’ commitment to a one-nation approach – rebalancing our economy and creating a Northern Powerhouse.
‘Bringing the cities and regions of Yorkshire and the Humber together and strengthening connections will help to create new opportunities and jobs for the people of Scarborough and Whitby.
‘The people of Scarborough and Whitby want a transport network that is better, faster and more reliable. Powered by a huge increase in investment and ambition right across the country that is what our long-term economic plan will deliver.’
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
‘Good transport is vital for local communities and is a fundamental part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. As a one-nation government we are determined to bring prosperity to every corner of our country and through the Northern Powerhouse we aim to help the North unleash its power and create a balanced, healthier economy – good for people in the North and across the United Kingdom.’