Former Labour minister David Blunkett is set to unveil a £16 billion plan for railways in Yorkshire today.

Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail outlines investments in new and accessible stations as well as improving the system as a whole to connect cities more effectively.

A total of £2.4 billion is being sought by the regions between now and 2030, followed by another £14 billion to 2040. Funding worth £2.5 billion for a new tram system in Leeds and extensions in Sheffield would be separate.

A new through station for Bradford is part of the plan, as well as increased capacity at Leeds, Sheffield and York, a main line station for Rotherham, upgrades and electrification between Leeds and Sheffield and more frequent trains on the York-Scarborough line, the Esk Valley and Penistone lines, and in the five towns which make up the Wakefield district.

Also on the shopping list are better trains, upgrades at key junctions and stations to boost capacity. Although the plan covers the next 15 years, some short-term improvements to services are included.

The plan calls for more devolution so that the city regions have more powers to decide how their railways should be developed, and is being published ahead of the government’s ten-year infrastructure plan and spending review, which is due in the summer.

Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail is being launched in Leeds today by Lord Blunkett, with West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith.

Lord Blunkett said: ‘Yorkshire has been punching under its weight for far too long, and with the White Rose Agreement and this infrastructure plan, the three Mayors are determined to reverse this historic trend.

‘It’s been a pleasure to be asked to pull together this credible and affordable plan, which presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve rail connectivity, and unlock economic growth and opportunities for all. 

‘By taking action now, the benefits of releasing capacity, speeding up journeys, improving reliability and running more frequent services will be felt not just here, but across the North, Midlands and beyond. It’s time to back Yorkshire.’

The proposals for Yorkshire are coming only days after the mayors of Liverpool and Manchester had called on the government to build a new railway between the two cities which they say could reduce journey times by 20 minutes. Such a line was first suggested last year in the wake of the cutbacks to HS2.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports are claiming that the surviving phase of HS2 might not open until the late 2030s, according to a preliminary briefing to ministers by HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild.

He is still working on a ‘fundamental reset’ of the HS2 project, and his full assessment may not be completed until later this year.

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