Work on railway lines between Leeds and Manchester to begin
The Transport Secretary says he's "wasting no time" on upgrading rail routes
Last updated 21st Dec 2021
The Government is "not wasting time" with starting work to transform rail services in the Midlands and the North, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Work to begin electrifying lines between Leeds and Manchester will begin between Christmas and New Year.
It'll initially focus on railways between Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria, which the government says will help cut journey times between Leeds and Manchester.
The project is part of the Government's £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) for the Midlands and the North.
Fierce criticism over plan
The IRP was met by fierce criticism when it was published in November because it included the scrapping of HS2's eastern leg between the East Midlands and Leeds, and a failure to use new lines for the full Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project.
But the Government insisted it will result in similar improvements from previous plans, and they will be delivered quicker and with better value for taxpayers' money.
Speaking on a visit to Network Rail contractor SPL in Leicester to see wiring gantries being built for the Midland Mainline, Mr Shapps said it is "exciting to get things done now rather than waiting decades".
He said: "We're not having to wait, we're getting on with it.
"We're going to have more reliable services, we're going to have better capacity, and we're going to have modern trains on lines delivered to people one heck of a lot earlier than it would have happened.
"Spades in the ground straightaway. We're not wasting time. We're starting before Christmas."
Mr Shapps added: "A lot of those people who were making comments when they saw the Integrated Rail Plan last month, I think today should confess that the one thing you can say for sure is we're getting on with it."
Labour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Government of "cynical broken promises".
She said: "People will not be taken for fools. They promised the electrification of the Midland Mainline a decade ago. They promised HS2 to Leeds. They promised Northern Powerhouse Rail. They simply cannot be trusted to deliver."