Railways "are not just about getting people from A to B", said then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on November 18, 2021, as he unveiled the Government's Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) setting out its vision for train services in the North and Midlands.
"Planned properly, they can transform the prospects of the places they serve, helping businesses to grow, generating new jobs and opportunities, and improving the lives of people who live and work there."
A year later, these words seem bitterly ironic. Despite the promises of two Tory Prime Ministers, Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement yesterday confirmed that the flagship Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme will fall a long way short of the transformative scheme hoped for by Northern businesses and politicians.
