Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Billions of pounds of investment in transport infrastructure in England have been announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The money will be spent on tram, train and bus projects in mayoral authorities across the Midlands, the North and the West Country.

The move comes before the government’s spending review next week, which will determine how much money each Whitehall department gets over the next three to four years.

Reeves has been under pressure from Labour MPs to spend money following criticism of relentless economic gloom, particularly concerning disability and benefit cuts.

Trams form the backbone of the investment plans, with Greater Manchester getting £2.5bn to extend its network to Stockport and add stops in Bury, Manchester and Oldham, and the West Midlands getting £2.4bn to extend services from Birmingham city centre to the new sports quarter.

There will also be £2.1bn to start building the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme by 2028, and build new bus stations in Bradford and Wakefield.

Six more metro mayors will receive transport investments:

The transport investment marks Reeves’ first open move away from the stringent rules in the Treasury’s Green Book, external, which is used by officials to calculate the value for money of major projects.

The book has been criticised for favouring London and the south-east. Labour MP Jeevun Sandher, a member of the Treasury Committee, complained of its “hardwired London bias” in April.

RG Note I think those who would believe the Whittlesey Relief Road project, can rest assured it isn’t going to happen for some even more considerable time, than was originally thought.

Following the speech Reeves was asked if there would be funding for a new rail link between Manchester and Liverpool.

She replied that there would be “more to come next week” when she delivers her Spending Review.