Transport Committee says that alternative options, which could transform key Northern cities, have not been properly tested and must be revisited

 
Prime minister Boris Johnson pictured on a tour of the North of England last November, timed to coincide with the announcement of the Integrated Rail Plan

 
A thorough reassessment of the government’s £96bn Integrated Rail Plan is essential to ensure this once-in-a-generation investment in rail is not a missed opportunity to address regional imbalances, the Transport Committee has urged.

A report published by the committee this week, The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, says that alternative options, which could transform stations and city centres in key Northern cities, have not been properly tested. Leaving out key elements of analysis of the wider economic impacts of the different options set out for Northern Powerhouse Rail means that value for money and economic return cannot be compared and validated, the report maintains.

While welcoming the scale of the investment, committee chair Huw Merriman pointed out that “many towns and cities are already disappointed by the proposals which have been set out”.

He said: “The prime minister promised that he would, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, do for the North what he did for Londoners with Crossrail. Instead, much of the track will be an upgrade of existing line.

“The business case of HS2 was based on it going east to Leeds. Now, it stops in the East Midlands without any understanding of how much money is saved.

The government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions

“Those we spoke to from the cities of Leeds and Bradford, in particular, do not recognise that the finalised plans meet either the promises they believe were made or the prime minister’s stated aims. For these cities, and the taxpayer as a whole, the government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions.”

The committee has called for a full analysis of the wider economic impacts, and a full cost:benefit ratio, for the different Northern Powerhouse Rail options.

If the results demonstrate that other options offer better value and outcomes for the taxpayer, economy and the communities directly impacted, MPs say government must make the necessary changes.

An investment of this substantial sum must be based on the best evidence and the best value for money

Merriman said: “An investment of this substantial sum must be based on the best evidence and the best value for money. It must bring the greatest overall benefit to rail services, the economy, environment and communities across the North and Midlands.

“We ask government to revisit the evidence base for the decisions they have reached. In recommending this reassessment, we are mindful of a previous Transport Committee report which challenged the government on its ability to deliver major infrastructure projects. Ministers must be cautious but transparent about the benefits that can be delivered by the Integrated Rail Plan. It is ambitious and exciting but public and stakeholders, especially in the North and Midlands, must be able to see that the benefits of the current proposals outweigh the other options which have been put forward.”

 
This story appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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