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04
Jun
North Yorkshire 'overlooked' in £15.6bn transport funding, says MP
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has accused the government of “overlooking North Yorkshire” in a £15.6 billion transport investment announcement.
Rachel Reeves, the Labour chancellor of the exchequer, unveiled the funding plans today (June 4).
The announcement allocates billions of pounds towards transport projects across the north of England, including £2.1 billion for a mass transit system in West Yorkshire.
However, Liberal Democrat Mr Gordon said North Yorkshire had been overlooked in the funding round.
He said:
This is a significant investment in public transport, and it’s long overdue. But while major projects are promised in West Yorkshire and beyond, there’s nothing for Harrogate, nothing for Knaresborough, and nothing for communities across North Yorkshire like ours.
It’s not good enough. Harrogate and Knaresborough are growing towns with huge potential, but we’re stuck with a single-track on part of the Leeds to York line that belongs in the last century, not the next one.
The Liberal Democrat MP has been campaigning for investment to dual and electrify the railway line between Knaresborough and York.
Electrification of the Harrogate line was also included in a Yorkshire Plan for Rail published by former Labour home secretary, Lord Blunkett, in May.
But, Mr Gordon said the chancellor’s plan failed to commit funding which would benefit the Harrogate district.
He said:
The government could have chosen to back rail upgrades that would benefit people right across our region. Instead, we’ve had yet another announcement that ignores North Yorkshire entirely.
A truly modern transport system shouldn’t stop at the border of a city, it should reflect how people actually travel. Whether it’s commuters heading into Leeds or families travelling between Harrogate, York and beyond, we need reliable, fast, green connections. This announcement doesn’t deliver that.
Responding to the chancellor’s announcement, Heidi Alexander, Labour’s transport secretary, said:
For too long, people in the North and Midlands have been locked out of the investment they deserve.
With £15.6bn of government investment, we’re giving local leaders the means to drive cities, towns and communities forward, investing in Britain’s renewal so you and your family are better off.
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