Council leader fears city will be left behind in Transpennine Route Upgrade

The leader of Hull City Council says the city cannot afford to be left out of plans for the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

Councillor Mike Ross spoke to RAIL after the Prime Minister’s announcement of an extra £415 million failed to mention the promised electrification of the line via Selby to Hull.

In his speech on March 28, Sir Keir Starmer talked about “plans to make the Liverpool-Hull corridor an economic superpower”, but the PM went on to announce extra funding “for the key rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York”.

Electrification to Hull was promised by the previous Conservative government but there have been no further announcements.

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has called for the TransPennine line to be electrified "all the way to Hull", and Councillor Mike Ross told RAIL: “The news the government plans to invest in rail in the north is, of course, welcomed.

"The importance of an efficient rail network is significant. It is not just about providing an effective and convenient form of travel for passengers and goods, but also the role it can play in providing a more environmentally friendly mode of travel.

“For all these reasons it is vitally important that Hull and the region benefit from this funding too. While there are voices calling for this to happen, such as Henri Murison and the Northern Powerhouse, there is too little detail from the government on how exactly this funding will support the ambitious plans we have here.

“While rail electrification was something agreed with the last government under the devolution discussions, this new one needs to be clear that it supports it happening for our region. We cannot afford to be left behind again.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson told RAIL the Department is working through transport projects associated with Network North and will provide updates following the Spending Review in due course.