Responding to the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) strategy, Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “While I am glad to see plans forming for the Transpennine Route, I worry that is too little too late.
“Over the last few years, we have received a revolving door of unfulfilled promises for our rail network, and it simply is not good enough. We need to see some real action instead of a list of levelling up buzzwords that do not result in action.
“Businesses and people wanting to travel across Yorkshire have been putting up with poor services, cancellations and congestion for years now and that needs to change.
“If we truly want to see levelling up, then all regions across the UK need to have infrastructure investment and support that matches that of the south.
“Our towns and cities have so much untapped potential and, because of poor infrastructure, businesses are missing out on top talent, while individuals don’t have enough opportunities in their local area.
“We do not want to keep driving our talent away; we need to make the north a more attractive place to live, work, train and establish businesses.
“But we cannot do that with a failing transport system. The people of the north deserve better.”
