I’m pleased to support Labour’s plan to improve rail links across the country with Great British Railways, make ticket prices fairer with the first price freeze in 30 years and our Northern Powerhouse Rail Plan that will improve connections across the north. We’re also taking rail franchises back into public ownership as their deals expire, an idea that I came up with and pushed for as Shadow Transport Minister from 2010-13.
The Tories promised better links with HS2 but then axed the northern portion of their plan after billions had been wasted. We’re putting that right with Northern Powerhouse Rail, a £45 billion investment to create a turn-up-and-go network along the northern growth corridor of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield, a generational commitment to transform how people in the north travel.
By the middle of the year over half Britain’s rail franchises will be back in public ownership, delivering on our manifesto promise to deliver a modern transport network to help get Britain moving again.