POLITICAL leaders are calling for a £100billion investment in northern transport to deliver jobs and growth to the region.

More than 80 northern MPs and peers have written to the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, urging the government commit to spending the money by 2050 for major strategic road and rail projects.

The cross-party letter was put together by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and has been signed by 69 MPs and 15 peers.including All Party Parliamentary Group co-chair Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory MP for Thirsk and Malton.

In particular, the signatories want an initial £24bn to be spent on Northern Powerhouse Rail which they say could create “economic revolutions”and must be delivered at the same time as HS2 reaches the north – scheduled to be 2032 – to realise its full impact.

Mr Hollinrake said: “This government has embraced the economic principles of the Northern Powerhouse to address the decades of under-investment in the North.

“We are now at a critical point – Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) has the potential not simply to improve rail travel for commuters and families but to deliver economic growth right across the north.

“Bringing forward the delivery date of NPR to the same time as HS2 arrives in the north could see the coming generation enjoy further education and job opportunities currently beyond young people today, and stimulate significant growth for the whole of the UK.”

The letter comes as Transport Secretary Chris Grayling faces criticism of the handling of the recent timetabling crisis.

A report found that almost a million hours of productivity was lost to northern businesses over the six-weeks when delays and cancellations were at their height, at a cost of over £38m.

Another signatory, Labour’s Caroline Flint, said: “We have seen the huge impact the recent timetable fiasco has had on the Northern Powerhouse – commuters unable to get to work, businesses losing out and childcare arrangements being disrupted.

“It is simply not good enough and needs urgent action to address the North’s outdated transport network. Investing up to £100bn in improving roads and rail is a must-have for the people of the north.”

Other signatories include Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell, Redcar’s Anna Turley, Berwick’s Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Sunderland West’s Sharon Hodgson, North Durham’s Kevan Jones, Stockton North’s Alex Cunningham, Bishop Auckland’s Helen Goodman, York’s Julian Sturdy and Scarborough’s Robert Goodwill.

Among the peers to have signed are The Lord Sawyer and Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate.