Yorkshire Labour Mayors Unveil £14bn Rail Improvement Plan

Lord David Blunkett, former Home Secretary and Sheffield MP, has presented a comprehensive £14 billion plan to overhaul Yorkshire's aging rail infrastructure, highlighting the constraints caused by Victorian-era systems that hamper economic growth and service reliability. The plan, backed by Yorkshire's Labour mayors, seeks £2.4 billion in initial government funding for improvements by 2030 and outlines a 15-year vision featuring new stations in Bradford and Rotherham, capacity expansions at Leeds, Sheffield, and York, electrification projects, and increased service frequencies, including to Scarborough and the Esk Valley. The proposal emphasizes the urgent need for substantial government investment and support through the upcoming spending review, alongside calls for increased devolved powers to better tailor transport solutions to regional needs. The mayors stress that decades of underinvestment have left the region's rail network inadequate, limiting economic opportunities and connectivity, with ambitions to add £20 billion to the local economy and create 83,000 jobs. Complementary funding is also sought for tram network restoration and extension in West and South Yorkshire. Regional leaders underscore the importance of securing fair funding to modernize services for current and future generations, aiming to transform Yorkshire's rail connectivity and unlock broader economic growth.