IT'S a rare thing which unites the cities of Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds, but Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s stance on rail infrastructure investment has done just that.

The leadership of each of those cities came together to sign a joint statement condemning Mr Grayling’s decision to publicly support investment in Crossrail 2 in London and the South-East just days after scrapping rail electrification in the North.

Instead of the promised electrification programme, the North will receive bi-mode diesel-electric trains, capable of travelling on the sections of our network that remain without power.

The Government’s view is that these new trains render the cost and disruption of upgrading the network unnecessary, but to those who use the North’s railways it feels like a short-term fix and yet another broken promise – one given extra sting by its juxtaposition with further investment in London.

The disparity between transport investment per head in the North and the South is well-trodden ground, but the sums involved are less important than the impact – not just in the practical sense but also in terms of perception.

Firstly, this decision means slower, less efficient trains will continue to run under diesel power on the core rail route between the North’s biggest cities for another generation – a conflicting signal with the Government’s work to remove diesel cars from our roads.

Secondly, by reneging on the promise of central government investment – and not for the first time on this project – the Transport Secretary risks disrupting local investment too.

The viability of local transport improvements is often tied to national spending, which acts as a catalyst to get local economic development on the move.

Darlington station is a perfect example.

Upgrades to the station are needed to prepare for additional services on the East Coast main line and the arrival of HS2, but are just one part of Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Darlington 2025 plan, which will unlock 3,000 jobs and 1,500 new homes in the region.

This is great news for Darlington and the Tees Valley, but also for everyone else travelling North and South, who will benefit from the additional capacity generated by a pinch point being relieved.

The moral is, when it comes to transport, plans rarely exist in isolation.

That’s why it’s vital for the North to present a united front, with North-East England at its heart, to ensure that the Government keeps its promises.

James Ramsbotham is chief executive at the North East England Chamber of Commerce