Questions about Northern Powerhouse Rail electrification plans for Hull need to be answered

Countless promises have been made to ensure the North of England is given the same economic opportunities afforded to London and the South East.

Whether that was under the guise of Northern Powerhouse or the Levelling Up agenda, the sentiment was the same. That the North was being held back.

A key enabler of economic growth is investment in public transport. Four years ago London was heralding the opening of Crossrail, yet the North of England continues to count the promises that never materialised.

In 2024, Labour promised to bring Hull into Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). The commitment, written into the Hull and East Yorkshire devolution deal, would see the electrification and improvement of the line between Hull, Leeds and Sheffield.

Lord Dave McCobb, Hull's new Liberal Democrat Peer, rightly asks what the Government is doing to honour this commitment.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy pointed to new battery-electric trains, which will run on Hull's existing, unelectrified track in response. But the Government clearly needs to provide more details and confirm whether electrification of the line will take place.

Few people understand the need for better rail connectivity across the North more than Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The former Mayor of Greater Manchester saw first-hand how the region was being held back.

His Government needs to either exceed or at the very least meet expectations set out by his predecessor’s administration on rail connectivity.