Transport Secretary gives reassurances over Bradford’s proposed …
The Minister was quizzed by Bradford[1] East MP Imran Hussain during a Commons debate on Network North and HS2 Phase 2.
The debate was held after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a £2 billion rail scheme for Bradford during his keynote speech at the Conservative Party’s conference – all part of the Network North plan.
Mr Sunak had axed the HS2 project from Birmingham to Manchester and promised to use the £36 billion of savings to fund hundreds of other transport schemes.
Speaking this week in Parliament, Mr Hussain asked: “A new city centre station and a fast rail connection to Manchester are vital to unlocking Bradford’s economic potential, and I welcomed their inclusion in the Government’s Network North strategy.
“However, the Prime Minister has since stated that many projects in the strategy are not final but illustrative. So will the Minister confirm that this Government will, at long last, firmly commit to a new high-speed, high-capacity line, without interchanges, between Manchester and Bradford?”
Mr Harper replied: “Yes, I can confirm that. The day after the party conference I went to Bradford and met the leader of the council and the West Yorkshire[2] Mayor to talk about our plans for the station at Bradford, their ambitious plans for the growth of Bradford and the new rail lines.
“They very much welcomed the plans we have made. I hope that the hon. Gentleman does too, and it would be nice if the Opposition Front Benchers shared the same views as their party colleagues.”
It has not yet been confirmed by the Government exactly where Bradford’s new station will be built or when work will start on it.
On the topic of Bradford on-off station plan, Mr Hussain previously said: “How many times have we been promised this only for it to be cancelled?”
The Prime Minister has also pledged to fund the long-awaited Shipley bypass using cash from a £460 million pot for “smaller road schemes across the north”.
West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has also raised questions over the plans, sating: “While a commitment to local connectivity is welcome, such as the plans for a new through station for Bradford and for the Shipley bypass to be funded, these are preexisting plans that have been talked about in some cases for years but with little by way of delivery.”