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| Boris Johnson backs high-speed Leeds to Manchester rail route | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson will pledge to fund a new high-speed rail route between Leeds and Manchester. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson will pledge to fund a new high-speed rail route between Leeds and Manchester. |
| In a speech in Manchester later, Mr Johnson will give his backing to the trans-Pennine transport link to "turbo-charge the economy". | |
| It is claimed the scheme would cut journey times on the 36-mile (58km) route from 50 minutes to under 30. | |
| The full details of the route are expected to be published in the autumn following the review into HS2. | The full details of the route are expected to be published in the autumn following the review into HS2. |
| It is thought the new route will be part of Mr Johnson's wider commitment to deliver a high-speed railway link across the north of England, which would cost about £39bn. | It is thought the new route will be part of Mr Johnson's wider commitment to deliver a high-speed railway link across the north of England, which would cost about £39bn. |
| The previous government supported the project in principle but had not committed to investing in it. | The previous government supported the project in principle but had not committed to investing in it. |
| But Labour cast doubt on Mr Johnson's pledge - saying he had failed to deliver on infrastructure as Mayor of London. | |
| The idea of a high-speed, east-west rail connection in northern England was first announced in 2014 by the then chancellor George Osborne as part of his Northern Powerhouse strategy. | |
| He claimed it would allow cities from Liverpool to Hull "to take on the world", but since then little progress has been made despite swathes of reports, announcements and pledges. | |
| In 2016 a report for the National Infrastructure Commission found the scheme needed "kick-starting" and concluded a concrete plan should be in place by 2017. | |
| In 2017, Mr Osborne claimed Theresa May's government had made a "systematic attempt" to "eradicate all mention of the initiative". | |
| The Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry replied that the scheme "would happen", but failed to provide any details of when. | |
| In 2018, a £70bn master plan announced by Transport for the North (set up to co-ordinate transport across the north of England) included HS3 in its plans for a new rail network, called Northern Powerhouse Rail. It was met with a mixed response. | |
| Last month, the Department for Transport would not confirm when a decision on the rail line will be made, but did estimate it could cost up to £39bn. | |
| Labour's shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the project had been "announced time and time again by the Conservatives". | Labour's shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the project had been "announced time and time again by the Conservatives". |
| "With Boris Johnson's staggering failure to build a bridge across the Thames and an estuary airport I'm not confident he'll be able to deliver better train services between Leeds and Manchester," he added. | "With Boris Johnson's staggering failure to build a bridge across the Thames and an estuary airport I'm not confident he'll be able to deliver better train services between Leeds and Manchester," he added. |
| "What we really need is Labour's Crossrail for the North, from Liverpool to Hull and up to the North East to unleash the economic potential of the region. | "What we really need is Labour's Crossrail for the North, from Liverpool to Hull and up to the North East to unleash the economic potential of the region. |
| "Just upgrading the rail between Leeds and Manchester - the same distance as the Central line on the London Underground - won't achieve that." | "Just upgrading the rail between Leeds and Manchester - the same distance as the Central line on the London Underground - won't achieve that." |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Spencer Stokes, BBC Look North transport correspondent | By Spencer Stokes, BBC Look North transport correspondent |
| Theresa May's government had said that it supported the idea of a new, fast rail route across the Pennines in principle - but it hadn't found the money to make it a reality. | Theresa May's government had said that it supported the idea of a new, fast rail route across the Pennines in principle - but it hadn't found the money to make it a reality. |
| Boris Johnson's speech goes one step further with a firm pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester line. | Boris Johnson's speech goes one step further with a firm pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester line. |
| The new railway would have a significant impact on journey times. Leeds to Manchester could be cut from around 50 minutes to less than 30 minutes. | The new railway would have a significant impact on journey times. Leeds to Manchester could be cut from around 50 minutes to less than 30 minutes. |
| Local authorities in the north have campaigned hard for extra cash for the north's railways following years of investment in big transport projects in London such as Crossrail - and the rebuilding of several of the capital's rail stations. | |
| Attention will now turn to the precise route and if the HS2 experience is anything to go by that's when the difficulties of building a railway become apparent. | Attention will now turn to the precise route and if the HS2 experience is anything to go by that's when the difficulties of building a railway become apparent. |
| Mr Johnson will use the speech to state he is committed to "rebalance power, growth and productivity across the UK". | Mr Johnson will use the speech to state he is committed to "rebalance power, growth and productivity across the UK". |
| A survey by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) found companies believed the upgraded network would boost productivity and investment. | A survey by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) found companies believed the upgraded network would boost productivity and investment. |
| NPP director Henri Murison said: "This is a seminal moment for the north - the entire Northern Powerhouse concept is all about connecting the cities and towns of the north to boost productivity." | NPP director Henri Murison said: "This is a seminal moment for the north - the entire Northern Powerhouse concept is all about connecting the cities and towns of the north to boost productivity." |
| Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said: "Northern Powerhouse Rail is key to our vision for a modern, reliable transport network that delivers faster journey times, additional capacity and greater reliability and I hope the Government will now work with us to accelerate delivery of this project." | Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said: "Northern Powerhouse Rail is key to our vision for a modern, reliable transport network that delivers faster journey times, additional capacity and greater reliability and I hope the Government will now work with us to accelerate delivery of this project." |