Transport spending per head in London double that of North

New analysis has shown that transport spending per head is over double in London than it is in the North of England, with £877.76 spent per head in London compared to £314.11 per head in the North East in 2019/20.

• 'Betrayal and broken promises' - MPs react furiously to drastically cut rail plans for North

Rail fares are set to sky-rocket by their highest increase in a decade next year, meaning commuters such as those going between Thornaby and Newcastle will be paying £1,633 more for an Annual Season Ticket than they did in 2010.

Alex Cunningham, Stockton North MP, described it as a "further betrayal of northern voters".

Mr Cunningham, who recently pressed the rail minister for further investment in rail services and infrastructure across the Tees Valley, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that people in Stockton North and Teesside, who have had to put up with old, inadequate rail stock and poor connectivity for too long, and will now likely face a record increase in rail fares in a few months’ time, paying more than 50 per cent more to get to work than a decade ago.

“Instead of taking action on the cost-of-living crisis affecting people here in Teesside and fixing the transport problems they created, the Government are looking the other way, trapping us in a cycle of regional inequality, high tax and low growth.

“It’s laughable and insulting to expect people in to be satisfied with watered down schemes and crumbs from the table, after putting their faith in a Prime Minister who has gone back on his word at every opportunity.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps denied the Government has reneged on promises to upgrade links for the North and Midlands in its scaled-back rail plan for the region.

Boris Johnson was accused of a “betrayal” after it was announced on Thursday that the eastern leg of the HS2 high speed rail line was being scrapped and the Northern Powerhouse Rail link from Manchester to Leeds downgraded.

However, Mr Shapps insisted the Government was fulfilling its pledges that both projects would go ahead.

“They are absolutely being fulfilled. We are producing that around 30-minute journey from Manchester to Leeds,” he told Sky News.

“When it comes to HS2, we are going to deliver HS2 trains (we are looking at) the best way to do that into Leeds.

“The plan for HS2 was conceived 15 years ago. What we want to do is make sure it actually integrates with these plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail which we are building.

“The only disconnect is some of the complaints from, I have to say, largely Labour leaders who are completely misleading people.

“This will have been the only time in history when massively improving everybody’s rail services would have been counted as a betrayal.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the Government’s scaled-back plans for rail links in the North and Midlands are a “second-class option”.

“The Government has ripped up those promises and betrayed people in the North. I was in Bradford yesterday and the anger is palpable,” Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“People feel very strongly that promises have been made to them and they have just been ripped up. The idea that ‘levelling up’ is anything more than a slogan has absolutely blown away by what happened yesterday.

“The whole point of HS2 was a high speed line going up including to Leeds. The whole point of the promise of Northern Powerhouse Rail was a new line going from Manchester to Leeds.

“Trying to upgrade what you have got is a second-class option for the North.”

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