Chancellor Rachel Reeves writes for The Mirror as she sets out plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail after years of broken promises under the Tories 14 years in government
For too long our economy hasn’t delivered for working people.
The last government chose chaos and instability over raising living standards. They chose not to invest in our trains, buses or roads. Not to invest in clean energy or the jobs of the future. And not to invest in our schools, hospitals and communities. Without stability and investment, our economy doesn’t grow.
Nowhere knows the true impact of lack of investment more than people living in the North – I know it after 16 years as a Leeds MP.
That’s why yesterday I was proud to announce the biggest investment in Northern rail in a generation, working hand-in-hand with local leaders to design and deliver it.
Northern Powerhouse Rail will transform how you travel – connecting Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York with faster, more frequent services. Services that go on to Newcastle, Hull, and more.
Because right now, someone living in Liverpool is served by only two fast trains an hour to Manchester. And it takes them up to an hour and 25 minutes to get to Manchester Airport – just 28 miles away.
Someone living in Leeds finds themselves in the largest city in Western Europe without mass transit – with only a third of its people able to reach the city centre in 30 minutes.
These aren’t just frustrating inconveniences. It’s holding back jobs, businesses and families across the North. This investment will change that. Faster commutes. Better connections. More time with your family instead of stuck on a platform. Building on action we’ve already taken.
We froze rail fares for the first time in 30 years. We kept the £3 bus fare cap. Making the money in the pockets of Mirror readers go further. When we connect our great Northern cities properly, we unlock their potential.
Manchester’s booming tech sector. Leeds as the Northern square mile for financial services. Sheffield’s advanced manufacturing. Liverpool’s life sciences. And Newcastle and the North East at the cutting edge of clean energy.
Get productivity in the North up to the national average and we add £40 billion a year to our economy. That’s more money for schools, hospitals and public services.
We’re not the first to recognise the potential of our brilliant northern cities. Previous governments talked a big game about “levelling up” while our trains were delayed or cancelled, our roads eroded, and our young people had to move away to find work.
I know trust has been broken before. The previous lot promised the earth and delivered nothing. Communities were told they’d get new rail links, only to see plans scrapped. That economic betrayal forced people to leave their hometowns just to find decent work.
We’re different. We’re putting our money where our mouth is. The North built the railways that changed the world. Now we’re building the railways that will change the North. No more broken promises. No more being forgotten. This Government is delivering for you.