Northern chambers of commerce have joined forces to call upon the Government to pledge vital rail investment in the area to aid its recovery from the pandemic.
Seven chambers – North East England, Greater Manchester, East Lancashire, Doncaster, Sheffield, South Cheshire and West & North Yorkshire – have come together to pen a letter to Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, saying investment would demonstrate the Government's commitment to invest in the North as part of the Covid-19 recovery process.
The Chambers, which represent hundreds of major employers across Northern England, also stressed the urgent need for Government to commit to the eastern leg of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Upgrades to increase capacity on the East Coast Main Line and Trans-Pennine routes were also highlighted as important.
The letter states Transport for the North estimate that the full Northern Powerhouse Rail project would increase the number of people within 90 minutes of four or more Northern Cities by 3.8 million, increase Gross Value Added (GVA) by £3.4bn by 2040, with over 100,000 jobs being created in urban areas.
James Ramsbotham, North East England chamber chief executive, said: “The North has faced historic underinvestment in its transport network. Better connections will increase productivity and help to encourage more trade between northern cities. It will also give people a wider choice of employment opportunities, encouraging them to live and work in the region.
“Investment in transport connectivity across the North will incentivise further private sector investment and create opportunities for regeneration and development.
“Increasing capacity in the Northern rail network will be crucial to addressing so many challenges that we face as a nation. It will support domestic and international businesses to transport goods and help our efforts to decarbonise our economy.”
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The letter argues that without investment, the region’s potential will continue to be held back by out-dated infrastructure. Northern areas need Government to be ambitious in its ‘build back better’ programme and commit to investing in genuinely transformational projects for the North, to truly create a fair recovery.
Mr Ramsbotham added: “It is no coincidence that the major economies of the North have historically grown on the back of increased transport connectivity provided by the expansion of the canal, rail and road networks.
“To deny the North the increased rail connectivity that these critical improvements would provide, would be to hold back future growth and opportunity for the millions living and working across the North.”
The letter was signed by Mr Ramsbotham and Clive Memmott, chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Miranda Barker, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Daniel Fell, chief executive of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, Paul Colman chief executive of South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce, Alexis Krachaim, executive director of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Mark Goldstone, head of business representation & policy at West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
The Chambers’ call to action from the Government comes ahead of today’s Transport for the North (TfN) conference in Leeds, where it will set out its Northern Transport Charter, to showcase how the region is best placed to shape its own future.
Transport for the North chief executive Martin Tugwell will call for more devolution and new approach to funding for the region, that recognises that local leaders are best placed to shape the future of connectivity in a way that creates opportunities for people and businesses.
He opened the conference by saying: “There is a prize of building a New North up for grabs, but it requires both investment to create transformational change, and the devolution of powers to those best placed to use them.
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“By bringing our region’s leaders together Transport for the North acts as the voice of our region on transport challenges and opportunities.
"It has allowed us to set out a single, ambitious vision that will transform connectivity, empower our people and businesses, help tackle climate change, support economic growth; enhance accessibility; and address societal disadvantages.
“Our Northern Transport Charter sets out how the investment made in TfN can be used to provide leadership and to determine what is best for our region .
“With further devolution and control over investment and policy decisions, we can work to close the North-South divide, unleash the North’s economic potential, and make real the levelling up agenda in a green accessible and sustainable way: with it we can build a truly new north of England to the benefit of generations to come.”