Investing in public transport improvements in the North East could yield huge productivity gains, a report from the TUC suggests.
The national trade union federation has pointed to productivity improvements worth £52bn to annual GDP in the next seven years if the Government is prepared to invest £9.9bn annually up to 2035. The Transport for Quality of Life plan sets out ideas including building out Northern Powerhouse Rail and connecting it to HS2; completion of both branches of HS2 and electrification of the full rail network.
TUC says its estimates - which include 140,000 new jobs in bus, tram and rail operation - are based on productivity comparisons with European centres of population that have better transport provision than the UK. As well as productivity gains brought about by reduced journey times and more routes, the upgrades would also reduce private car usage and therefore help meet 2030 net emissions targets.
