Business leaders in the North East have raised the pressure on the Government over a key transport scheme in the region by calling on Ministers to back the re-opening of the Leamside rail line.
Business groups including the North East England Chamber of Commerce, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling on Ministers to commit funding to the project. A number of major employers - including Esh Group, Northumbrian Water, new Britishvolt owners Recharge Industries and Newcastle International Airport - have also signed the letter.
The campaign to re-open the disused rail line through County Durham, Sunderland and Gateshead would allow the Metro to be extended to Washington and could bring more than £90m a year in economic benefits to the North East. But Transport Minister and North East MP Richard Holden was non-committal when pressed on the merits of the scheme last week, following a pledge from Labour that it would fund the re-opening of the line if it won power.
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North East England Chamber of Commerce chief executive John McCabe said “The proposed devolution deal for the North East includes a commitment from the Government to work with the region to push forward plans for the Leamside Line. This is a positive development for this strategically vital infrastructure project; however, it does not secure the funding needed to deliver the Leamside Line in full.
“We will continue to urge the Government to press on and deliver the East Coast Main Line (ECML) upgrades outlined in the Integrated Rail Plan between Northallerton and Newcastle – a move that will signal a positive step towards the realisation of some of the benefits of Northern Powerhouse Rail for the region. However, to reap the full benefits, we need to facilitate the full re-opening of the Leamside Line which would improve reliability, resilience and further capacity uplift on the ECML, as well as provide extra capacity for freight growth in the North East, and provide enhanced regional rail connectivity between the North East and Tees Valley.”
And Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said “The re-opening of the Leamside Line, and in particular the commitment to the Washington Metro Loop, is a critical piece of infrastructure for the North East. Businesses across the region need, and want, investment into transport systems; not only to open up the opportunities for trade across the region but to vastly improve commuting links for residents and workers.
“For too long the North East has been left behind and we urge the Prime Minister to re-evaluate his Government’s commitment to transport infrastructure spend and invest further in the people of the North East.”
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Campaigners hope that the re-opening of the Leamside Line could start with the “Washington loop”, which would bring the Metro to one of the largest towns in England with no rail service. It would also provide better links to key employment sites such as the Nissan and Hitachi plants in Sunderland and County Durham, and the Amazon warehouse in Gateshead.
A business case costing that scheme at £745m has been submitted to the Government. Transport Minister Richard Holden, who is MP for North West Durham, last week declined to commit to the scheme, saying a Government response was due in weeks.
Transport North East wants to start the re-opening of the Leamside Line with a link between Sunderland and Pelaw with three new stations in Washington. The organisation says that re-opening the full line would improve rail services in the North East by providing an alternative to the clogged East Coast main line for freight trains and in the event of blockages.
Martin Gannon, Gateshead Council leader and chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said “Business support for the campaign to re-open the Leamside Line is vital, and we were really pleased that business organisations, as well as employers of all sizes from across the region have joined us in our fight to re-open the Leamside Line.
"The campaign is backed by MPs from across the North East as well as councils and elected representatives at all levels. Together with the business voice we are making a strong statement to the Prime Minister to re-look at his Government’s spend on critical infrastructure in the North East.”
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