HOPES to bring the Leamside line in County Durham back in use could face a new development after MPs from the region promised to secure funding for the major rail project in the future.
Earlier this week, the historic railway line, which hasn’t been in use since the 1960s, was left out of the Government’s new ‘levelling up’ transport plans that included several other ambitious schemes across the UK.
On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed a CBI meeting in South Shields where he committed to improving train links across the East Coast Main Line but insisted that new rail links were “not the way forward”.
READ MORE Ferryhill left in the lurch after Government reject Leamside rail link
This prompted an angry reaction from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, with its director, Henri Murison, describing the Government’s snub as “a disgrace to the North East” and “selling the region down the river”.
Speaking at the disused railway station at Ferryhill on Monday, Mr Murison added: “I think the government are massively confused on what we have here in the North East – here is a train line that just needs to be kickstarted. It’s not a brand-new thing, it won’t take digging work, and it won’t destroy the landscape.
“Boris Johnson has attended the region today, but I believe he’s not too sure what the current state of play is. First, HS2 is scrapped and ,then the railway here is shelved, how much can these communities go through? They deserve better, and they deserve public transport fit for purpose."
Despite the adverse reaction to the Government’s announcement in the aftermath of Boris Johnson’s speech, the dust has now settled on the Leamside line debate and MPs in County Durham have had time to digest the recent updates for the rail network.
After seemingly criticising the Government’s plans to move forward without the Leamside line, MPs across the region have now pledged to support the reopening of the rail link “through other channels”.
Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield, who has campaigned for the resurrection of the Leamside network for many years, has committed to working with the Department for Transport to secure funding.
Mr Howell said: “I’m disappointed that the Leamside line didn’t go to the next stage, but there may be future opportunities to bid for this line, and I will be working closely with the Department for Transport to explore options.
“There are many positives to recent announcements, but we need to see how capacity and connectivity on the East Coast Main Line north of Darlington can be delivered.
“The Leamside Line is critical to the capacity needs for East Coast Main Line, and I will continue to push for this to be developed, and I have asked ministers how we take this forward.
“I and the members for Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle persist in promoting this agenda.”
Despite Mr Howell suggesting a ‘united front’ approach to the Leamside line from MPs in County Durham, this wasn’t the case when MP for North Durham, Kevan Jones, took to Parliament this week to discuss the disused rail link.
Addressing his fellow MPs, Mr Jones attacked the Government’s “lack of action and vision” and questioned whether the line would have been reopened if it was further south in England.
The North Durham MP also accused the Government of “conning the north” with “giant pots of money,” but did indicate that he was committed to moving forward the Leamside debate.
He said: “Reopening the Leamside line gets extra capacity on the east coast mainline and yet the government won't fund it.
“There's a clear contrast between the billions invested in new rail lines in London and the make-do approach in the North East.
“This is the very opposite of levelling up. A lot of the north is further north than York – in the North East, there is consensus to get the Leamside line open.
“Is it just going to be shelved and forgotten about? Can I urge ministers – stop trying to con people in the north by giving pots of money out for projects like the Consett line that will cost upwards of £600m.
READ MORE Campaign continues to reopen Leamside Line in County Durham
“Half of this money will go to consultants and reports before groundwork gets done.”
Whatever the direction of the Leamside line from here, early estimates expect the overall project to cost anywhere between £600m and £1.7bn, but with the hope that it can be linked to a rail project in Washington, for now, MPs seem to be pushing forward with a plan for the long-forgotten railway line.
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