North East transport at the centre of Tory debate
Oct 5 2010 by William Green, The Journal
THE Government was last night urged to make good on its promises to improve the North East’s creaking transport infrastructure.
News that the Coalition is looking at new plans for high-speed rail that could bring trains to the region were welcomed by the North East Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
But the Chamber urged the Government to make clear when the North East will be linked into the network, saying that current timescales envisaged by Ministers “will not provide any confidence that the North East will ever benefit”.
Elsewhere at yesterday’s Tory conference, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond came under renewed pressure to dual the A1 through Northumberland after he met campaigners.
Under the Government’s plans for high speed rail, the first phase of the network would be built between London and Birmingham by 2025-26.
The network would split into a Y-shape heading to Leeds and Manchester in the following seven to eight years. It would join the East Coast Main Line north of Leeds – with the plan for it to extend to the North East, although no timescales have been given for the third phase.
Journey times between Newcastle and London would be slashed from three hours and nine minutes to two hours and 37 minutes.
