The region’s Growth Track 360 partnership has been campaigning for a series of key rail projects but says it was disappointed when no funding announcement was made in last month’s Budget and Spending Review.

“We are making all the right arguments and presenting all the right evidence for rail investment to support green economic growth in our cross border economic powerhouse region but we are not seeing the backing we need from the UK Government,” said the group’s chair and leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council, Louise Gittins. “We want to understand what more we need to do to accelerate our projects.”

Schemes promoted by the group include upgrades to a rail route linking Wrexham with Liverpool via Bidston, the North Wales Coast Main Line and modernisation of Chester Station. Growth Track 360 submitted a bid to the Chancellor for a £20M fund to make progress on developing these schemes but the investment has not been forthcoming.

The group’s vice chair Ian Roberts – leader of Flintshire Council – said: “We need the Union Connectivity Review and other impending UK Government announcements to unlock the funds and resources we need for these three key projects.

“We want to meet constructively with the Transport Secretary and welcome him to our region to present our case.”

(Photograph: John David Photography - Shutterstock)