"I wholeheartedly agree with my good friend. The selection of the route between Liverpool and Manchester was to a large degree determined by the importance of providing better connectivity to Manchester airport, not just for people in the north-west, but those travelling across the Pennines from other parts of the …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"In the announcement today, we are ruling things in; we are not excluding funding things through other funding sources. We will be setting out in the normal way such things as future rail network enhancement programme funding. I am happy to continue the conversation with the hon. Member about the …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I can assure my hon. Friend that we will be having detailed conversations with local partners, including Manchester airport, and we will ensure that any contribution is fair and locally agreed. It is important that organisations that will benefit directly from the improvement of rail links make a contribution, and …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I will ask the Rail Minister to write to the hon. Gentleman and update him on the particular scheme that he is advocating...." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"With permission, I would like to make a statement on the Government’s plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail. I realise that I am not the first Minister to talk about transforming infrastructure in the north of England, and I get why people there are sick to the back teeth of Westminster …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I cannot believe what I have just heard, to be honest. I know that the hon. Gentleman is standing in for the shadow Transport Secretary, the right hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Holden), but I really hoped that he would have done a bit better than that.
"The Chair of the Transport Committee is completely right that the proposals we are announcing today will deliver rail services for the north that are comparable to those in London and the south-east—a “turn up and go” railway where people do not have to check the timetable before they go …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are getting on with this, and we will see these improvements delivered. I do not share his cynicism that we will spend the next four years simply coming up with a plan; the £1.1 billion that has been allocated is for land …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for her contribution. She talks about Manchester Piccadilly; I am reminded of the words of Mayor Andy Burnham, who has said to me that he sees the potential of that station to be a King’s Cross for the north. I agree with …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech
"I can wholeheartedly assure the hon. Member that this announcement is good news for Bradford station. I have been working closely with Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the leader of Bradford Council, and Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire. We will be pressing forward with the work that is already under …..." Heidi Alexander - View Speech