The government has announced plans for a £96 billion
transformation of our rail services - the biggest ever investment - and its
good news for the North East.
In recent years, there has been a lot of concern -
especially in our region - that plans in place to deliver upgrades via HS2
would take decades for us to see the benefits.
We need better rail travel as soon as possible, and that’s
why the plans announced this week are so important. The investment will means
quicker, more reliable and greener rail travel from the North East to the rest
of the country.
Journey times on the East Coast Mainline will be cut
significantly thanks to the upgrades:
Newcastle to London will be 21 minutes quicker
Newcastle to Manchester will be 22 minutes quicker
Newcastle to Birmingham will be 30 minutes quicker.
This builds on recent investment in rail travel between
Newcastle and Carlisle. New trains are now running across the Tyne Valley, with
better seating, free WiFi, and USB charging. And of course, I’ll keep fighting
for investment in our local lines - including Gilsland, which I want to see
finally reopened!
Connectivity is absolutely essential to levelling up. This
investment will cut journey times and improve reliability.
Good news for Tynedale and Ponteland.
