Yorkshire businesses call on government to support ambitious rail upgrade plan
Their call follows the launch of Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail, a proposal seeking £14 billion in government investment to transform transport
Business leaders across Yorkshire are urging the government to support a bold new vision for the region’s railway network.
Their call follows the launch of Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail, a proposal seeking £14 billion in government investment to transform transport connectivity across the region—an area many say has suffered from decades of underinvestment.
In a show of unity, CEOs and directors from major regional organisations—including Magtec, Westfield Health, University of Bradford, Yorkshire Building Society, Virgin Media O2, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Community First Yorkshire, Business Advisory Board Chairs and Chambers of Commerce—have signed an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The letter states: “Connecting people to opportunities is vital which is why we urgently need better rail infrastructure in Yorkshire.
“We are collectively backing Lord David Blunkett’s review on improving rail connectivity for passengers and freight, as part of the White Rose Agreement signed by the Three Yorkshire Mayors: Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and David Skaith.
“We agree with the ambitions in Lord Blunkett’s review that we need further investment to deliver faster, more frequent and more reliable train services by increasing capacity at Leeds, Sheffield and York stations, building a new through-station for Bradford and a mainline station at Rotherham, carrying out upgrades and electrification between Leeds and Sheffield, and increasing the frequency of services for places such as Scarborough, the Esk Valley, Penistone Line and Wakefield district’s Five Towns.”
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the plan includes upgrades to Sheffield Midland and Doncaster stations, the creation of a new Rotherham Gateway station, and the extension of Sheffield to London services through to Barnsley.
Lord Blunkett’s review argues that the proposed rail investment is essential to the economic ambitions of the White Rose Agreement. It aims to add £20 billion to the Yorkshire economy over the next decade, create 83,000 jobs, and support the development of 210,000 new homes.