Return of the Conservatives to Government represented “a massive vote of confidence” in High Speed 2, according to Patrick McLoughlin who has delivered his first speech since being reappointed Transport Secretary.

 

Mr McLoughlin was in Leeds on Monday to confirm that high speed rail and development of the Northern Powerhouse are uppermost in the Government’s thinking.

 

“HS2 will change the transport and economic architecture of the north,” he said, adding that the full ‘Y’ network from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will be built, with construction starting in just two years.

 

Mr McLoughlin went on to say that work is under way to look into the case for speeding up construction of the Sheffield to Leeds section of HS2. But he did not mention a proposed extension to Scotland, which TP Weekly News revealed last week may be dropped.

 

The Transport Secretary did say that Government is moving forward with plans for a High Speed 3 from Liverpool in the west to Hull in the east. This project, he said, “will slash journey times, provide a substantial boost to capacity and help bind the north together as a single, powerful economic force.” He added: “We believe in the power of transport to change things.”

 

He went on to say that £13Bn of Government funding will be invested to help transform transport infrastructure in the north over the next five years. And he said that by the autumn, Transport for the North – the body established by Government to work with it on delivering a Northern Transport Strategy – will have a new independent chair.

 

(Photo: HS2)