Shadow Transport Secretary, and Oldham West and Royton MP, Jim McMahon, has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, asking him to confirm reports Northern Powerhouse Rail – also known as HS3 – could be axed are incorrect.
He has also asked Shapps to clarify why the project is yet to be approved more than six years after it was announced – despite being lauded in government press releases more than 60 times.
Labour is demanding ministers finally set out a route plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and commit to beginning infrastructure work on the project – which was first promised by then-Chancellor George Osborne back in 2014.
In his letter, Mr McMahon said: “Warm words and vague promises, the likes of which we have seen from the Prime Minister during recent by-election campaigns, are simply not good enough.
"Labour will not stand by while cities like Bradford – among those set to benefit most from vital infrastructure upgrades – risk being stifled by this government’s failure to keep its side of the bargain.
“Our party is clear - Northern Powerhouse Rail should be built.
"Estimates predict it will connect millions more people and thousands of businesses and help tackle our imbalanced economy.”
