Businesses are being urged to join forces with MPs and local councils to make the case for the electrification and upgrade of railway lines in and out of Hull.
It comes as the city council leader, Daren Hale, fears rail infrastructure investment plans could be watered down.
He has written to councillors, MPs and businesses across Hull and the East Riding, calling on them to 鈥渃ollectively raise the profile for electrification and make clear that the city needs and demands it鈥.
Read more: Vital east-west rail freight link could spare hundreds of HGVs
It is thought the Government鈥檚 long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan could be published later this month alongside Chancellor Rishi Sunak鈥檚 Autumn Spending Review, and Cllr Hale said there are concerns the financial impact of Covid-19 could have a negative effect on the proposals for the stretch from Hull to Leeds and Hull to Sheffield.
Cllr Hale, the city鈥檚 representative on the Transport for the North Board, said: 鈥淚n the current economic environment and without significant lobbying to ministers, electrification of the routes to Hull risks being dismissed as unnecessary and unwanted by the city.
鈥淲e must make our voice heard to ensure that Government is clear about the demand and the urgent need for electrification and the benefits to the city it will bring.鈥
Reliable rail connectivity is described as crucial for the city鈥檚 economic growth, and if plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail go ahead, it could potentially put 1.1 million people and 31,000 businesses within 90 minutes of the city.
The electrification would form part of plans to electrify the full TransPennine route between Manchester and Hull. Upgrading this critical route would be make travel more environmentally friendly, improve reliability and journey times, and ensure that new rolling stock could run right across the network.
It could cut journey times from Hull to Leeds from 57 minutes to 38 minutes, and Hull to Sheffield from 86 minutes to 50 minutes.
Cllr Hale鈥檚 letter also highlighted other fundamental concerns about the city鈥檚 鈥減oor鈥 rail connectivity, including the connections to Manchester and Bridlington.
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He said: 鈥淔or years we have strived to increase our rail connection to Manchester from one train per hour to two. Instead, we are constantly pushing back against the proposals to add more stops into our service in order to provide a local stopping service for the Manchester and Leeds conurbations.
鈥淲e do understand that large numbers of people are seeking to move between Leeds and Manchester by rail, but it should not be at the expense of another city鈥檚 only connection.
鈥淚n addition, the Bridlington service has been downgraded to peak travel times only until May 2022, completely removing the evening provision on this service. Whilst this retains some ability to commute (assuming full days) it will have a significant impact on our evening economy.鈥
It comes on the day Hull Trains marks its 21st anniversary with a special livery on the latest of the Paragon fleet at the city鈥檚 station.
was overseeing proceedings a week into the job, having succeeded Louise Cheeseman.
Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dr Ian Kelly was at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week.
Speaking with rail advocat Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes - and former Grimsby MP Melanie Onn - now deputy chief executive of trade body Renewable海角视频, he discussed the "taggeringly poor trans-Pennine rail links to both Hull and Grimsby from Manchester," subsequently picked up specifically by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his closing speech to conference.
Hull North MP Dame Diana Johnson is also looking to co-ordinate a meeting involving the Chamber and Transport for the North鈥檚 new chief executive, Martin Tugwell.
Dr Kelly said: 鈥淲ho knows 鈥 maybe level crossings will turn into levelling up at last for the Humber given our appalling trans-Pennine rail links and the fact the Prime Minister picked it up in his big set piece speech!鈥
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