No Hull rail electrification until 2024?
Diana Johnson MP
05/03/15, 00:00
Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "Today's announcement from the Transport Secretary shows that Hull could wait as long as 2024 for rail electrification.
"Had the Coalition Government shown any urgency for Hull rail electrification in the months after November 2013, when Hull first won national City of Culture, it was at that stage still possible for this scheme to happen in time for 2017.
"Hull and other MPs, councillors, the Humber LEP, First Group, the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce and others have been making the case for earlier electrification of the Selby to Hull line, using around £94m of private finance and at minimal cost to the taxpayer.
"Meanwhile this Government can find £1.3bn for a road tunnel under Stonehenge, £175m for a Thames Garden Bridge and £1bn for two new Tube stations in south west London.
"Hull's only hope for a fair deal will be from Labour's plans for fairer funding and for the devolution of £30bn of Whitehall spending in areas such as transport, skills and economic regeneration. For Hull, this Government's so-called 'Northern Powerhouse' is running on a very low voltage."