York Liberal Democrats have welcomed an announcement from the Secretary of State for Transport that work will resume on the Transpennine electrification programme.

At July’s Full Council the Lib Dems successfully moved a motion calling for the project to go ahead after the Conservative Transport Secretary had said in June that the plans had been “paused”. In today’s announcement the Government says it expects the upgrade to provide six fast trains per hour, take up to 15 minutes off journey times between Manchester and York and could be complete by 2022.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader of City of York Council whose portfolio covers Economic Development, commented:  

“I am pleased that after a strong local campaign the Conservative Government has bowed to public pressure and agreed to resume work on the Transpennine electrification programme. However, the delay means that the Government will miss its original deadline to deliver an electrified route between York and Manchester by 2019.

“The York Liberal Democrats have long called for Transpennine electrification including in a motion to Full Council in July. Electrification brings significant economic and environmental benefits along with taking 15 minutes off journey times between Manchester and York. We now need to make sure that the Government sticks to its new target of completing the upgrade by 2022.”