Rail Investment and Integrated Rail Plan Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Rail Investment and Integrated Rail Plan

Lucy Powell Excerpts
Wednesday 8th December 2021

(2 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Grant Shapps Portrait Grant Shapps
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The hon. Member knows a lot about this subject from our time sparring across the Dispatch Boxes and, representing Middlesbrough as he does, he knows that he is going to get a direct train from London to Middlesbrough. That is a major achievement, and I am proud that this Government were able to give his constituents that service.

I was talking about the Mayor of Greater Manchester and what he said—I could not agree more—about sticking to that original plan through thick and thin. It did not deliver what was required. Instead, our new plans mean that the great northern infrastructure projects are going to be linked up locally, regionally and nationally.