High-speed rail link will start in the North says Gordon Brown

Nov 24 2009 by William Green, The Journal

The Prime Minister also hailed the £16bn committed to London’s Crossrail scheme despite many outside the capital asking whether that cash would be better spent in the North of England. Lord Adonis has previously stressed his commitment to bring high-speed rail to the North East, but added that it could not be “done in one go”.

The developments came as Conservative leader David Cameron yesterday signalled he could not answer the region’s “wish list” of transport upgrades if elected Prime Minister.

Addressing the CBI conference, he said: “I cannot give you the wish list of every piece of infrastructure spending and every tax reduction you would like because – to put it frankly – the Government has run out of money.

“Instead, I am offering the agenda that I think you know and I know this country really needs.”

Mr Cameron’s comments come after he previously said plans to upgrade the A1 Western Bypass around Newcastle and Gateshead as well as the A1 north of Newcastle had a “good chance” of being taken forward.

But he told the CBI conference that a Tory Government would build a high-speed rail link between London and Leeds, taking in Birmingham and Manchester.

Sir David Rowlands, chairman of High Speed Two – the company set up by the Government – has said that Newcastle should “certainly” be connected to a future network.

His preferred route would be Y-shaped, stretching up either side of the Pennines from Birmingham.

Sir David said there was a “clear business case” to ensure the route ran all the way up from London to Scotland when he spoke to the BBC earlier this month.

“My own personal view is that if all the Government ever wants to do is to build a high speed line that goes to Birmingham and no further, I wouldn’t bother. It doesn’t make sense,” he added.

But Network Rail has recommended a route up the west coast of the country, bypassing the North East.