The North East faces a triple hit to transport as the Government fails to deliver on promises to level up our region.
We heard this week that the Government is planning to scrap HS2 phase 2b and the much hyped Northern Powerhouse Rail.
In addition, also this week, our regional leaders have warned of a £20.8m blackhole in transport finances from Government cutbacks.
These two cuts are compounded by Rishi Sunak’s failure to mention our region in the Autumn Budget Statement.
High Speed 2 : North East
High speed rail is a key tool in reducing travel by road and air.
There have been concerns – from the start of the project – that HS2 would be poorly implemented. In particular, there was much scepticism on the route ever reaching the North.
Those concerns have been realised as HS2 (2b) – the Leeds branch – is to be scrapped.
Although this does not appear to directly affect our region, the branch would have released capacity on the East Coast Mainline, allowing for more trains and faster travel.
The replacement plans, announced by the Transport Secretary on Thursday, focus instead on the North West and the Midlands – meaning our region will again miss out on investment afforded to other parts of the country.
Regional Transport Finances
The Government has confirmed that pandemic related subsidies are to be withdrawn from April 2022. These subsidies were provided to local authorities to support ongoing services while passenger numbers were low.
As those who use public transport will know, passenger numbers are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. This is to be expected, as Covid rates remain high. North Tyneside has the highest Covid rates in the country.
The cut to subsidies will leave a shortfall in regional finances and therefore existing services are likely to be cut. In particular bus services – and even the Shields Ferry – will be reduced. This will leave many without public transport, increasing the number of cars on our roads.
Transport Plans
For all of the Government talk of levelling up, the Autumn Budget showed that the North East is not on the Government’s radar.
Transport for our region has long been neglected and is in need of urgent support. The plans – developed by the Joint Committee for Transport – were far from perfect. However, they provided a base point to improve transport in our region. The plans would enable travel solutions, helping communities and creating opportunities for business.
The Future
These cuts leave us worse off before we even consider the losses to come from the failure to support transport plans and invest in the future.
We need investment in our public transport network and investment to enable active travel (walking, cycling, etc). This investment will not only ease travel in our region, but is crucial to help in tackling the climate emergency.
We need a change to bring investment to our region. We are tired of being left behind.
Join the Green Party and demand the change – and the investment – that we need : join.greenparty.org.uk