TRANSPORT

Rail – reflections on a decade long campaign

January saw completion of £161m of investment into Leeds station. Upgrades include the new platform 0 along with lengthening of other platforms to accommodate more trains per hour. This follows more than a decade of campaigning by the Chamber for Network Rail and Government to recognise the role of Leeds station as the gateway into Yorkshire’s largest economic centre. It was June 2011 when Network Rail’s then Director of Property addressed Chamber members, informing them “Not to expect a St Pancras in Leeds” and proceeded to make them aware of a series of what later were described as ‘maintenance projects’. The backlash from this session was strong and the Chamber was provided in no uncertain terms with a mandate to represent businesses across the Leeds City Region. Working with Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the Leeds Rail Programme Board was established. This group brought together key rail stakeholders and continues to meet regularly to ensure the business and civic leadership of the city are able to contribute to conversations and decision making. The Chamber welcomed the completion of the station upgrades with Chair of West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Amanda Beresford, saying, “The investments made to Leeds Station are hugely important in demonstrating a commitment to realising the potential contained within the city. The £161m upgrades have already begun to improve regional connectivity, service reliability and passenger experience.” Despite these improvements, Leeds Station remains the third largest cause of delays to the national rail network, with impacts felt as far away as Plymouth and Aberdeen. The recently published, and hugely disappointing, Integrated Rail Plan was an opportunity to fix the problems but fell far short of what was promised and expected from Government. The Chamber is still of the view that additional improvements are needed and the building of new high speed infrastructure will free up capacity and create more connectivity to ensure inter-city, commuter services and freight movements can operate efficiently and effectively. Rail investment will continue to be a priority for the Chamber as we believe it will be a key component to levelling up the north.

Great British Railways Bid – York

In support of City of York Council’s bid to make York the home of the soonto-be established Great British Railways (GBR), the Chamber invited Claire Foale, Assistant Director for Policy and Strategy at the Council, to update members on how they could get involved. The national competition will see cities around the country bid to be the new home for the successor organisation to Network Rail, with York in prime position to stake a claim. Expressions of interest will need to be submitted in March, with a shortlist announced in May. The competition involves a public vote in May and the Chamber will be of course be encouraging members to vote for York. The winner will then be announced in the summer. Fresh off the heels of Active Travel England (ATE) announcing their new HQ will be located in York, it was well recognised by Chamber members that should ATE be joined by a GBR HQ, York would have the potential of creating a national centre of gravity for a sustainable transport infrastructure. Foale reminded members that one of York’s key strengths centres on the fact that the city maintains a diverse rail campus with several national operators and suppliers based in city-centre locations, all within one mile of the station. In addition, it was acknowledged that York is home to one of the 12 digital signalling centres in the UK, with the city also having strengths in digital, data and automation. Following the meeting, York and North Yorkshire Chamber President, Laurence Beardmore, said: “Alongside our joint-work to help secure vital infrastructural upgrades in road and rail for our region, we’re proud to be supporting City of York Council in their recent campaign to situate the new Great British Railways national HQ in York. This bid wields great potential for the city, hosting the successor organisation to a pivotal national body such as Network Rail. With the city’s strong and established connections to the rail sector, dating back nearly two centuries, coupled with the highly skilled and specialised workforce in the area; we think York would be the perfect place for GBR to call home.” Chamber Transport Group Chair, Alastair Gordon, said: “This bid is a fantastic opportunity for York to be recognised for its rich and impactful rail heritage. Alongside a strong cultural argument, the city offers a robust proposal, with the infrastructure already in place to support the move. The Chamber firmly supports this proposal by the Council, and encourages the Department for Transport to consider the potential for York to be held as a shining example of the Levelling-Up agenda in action.”