The Government has said it is committed to plans for a new rail line between Manchester and Leeds - despite reports at the weekend claiming the scheme could be scrapped.
Number 10's statement on Tuesday came amid reports that ministers were set to "effectively kill" plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.
The Government has now said it is "absolutely" committed to building the line connecting the two cities, as LeedsLive reports.
Northern Powerhouse Rail is expected to include a cross-Pennine line linking Newcastle, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield with Manchester and Liverpool.
"We're getting on top of our priorities of levelling up and investing in northern transport," the spokesman said.
"The Integrated Rail Plan will soon outline exactly how major rail projects including HS2 phase 2b and Northern Powerhouse Rail will work together to deliver reliable train services that passengers need and deserve."
The commitment came despite a Department for Transport spokesman refusing to confirm whether it would go ahead with the new line.
Meanwhile Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had reassured her about his "commitment" to transport in Bradford following the Sunday Express report.
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"The Transport Secretary refuted recent reports about the Government scaling back NPR in Bradford," the Labour mayor said in a statement released yesterday evening.
"He reaffirmed his commitment to the city, acknowledging the need for Bradford's young people in particular to be better connected to infrastructure and greater opportunities.
"We now look forward to the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan, which will have more detail about NPR and the promised new line between Manchester, central Bradford and Leeds."
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The long-delayed Integrated Rail Plan will outline the Government's vision for train travel across the 海角视频 - though no concrete date has been set for its publication.
The Sunday Express report at the weekend claimed ministers aimed to scrap the new Manchester-Leeds line and instead carry out £10bn of upgrades across the North, including electrifying the existing Transpennine line between Manchester and Leeds.
It comes after Northern leaders urged the Government to publish its rail plan "urgently" to avoid any more delays to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
The Northern Powerhouse Rail project would involve building a major new station in Bradford for the "High-Speed 3" line from Leeds to Manchester, as well as other improvements.