The Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps MP Secretary of State for Transport Great Minster House 33 Horseferry Road London SW1P 4DR [email protected] Dear Secretary of State, This letter brings together both businesses and local leaders in the North East. We are writing to you united to make the urgent case for investment in the East Coast Main Line as part of the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan, this will show that the Government truly is committed to investing in the North and the levelling up agenda as part of the recovery process. We believe that the East Coast Main Line and regional stations in the North East are key areas for investment. The North East shouldn’t have to choose between investment in these or HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. We need HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail delivered along with investment in regional links to tackle decades of underinvestment in the North East’s railways. HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail are essential to increase rail capacity and create reliable rail connections across the North. With the Government now set to publish an Integrated Rail Plan in the coming months it is essential that Northern Powerhouse Rail, the HS2 Eastern Leg, and upgrading the East Coast Main Line in the North East are all included. In order to achieve its levelling up agenda and increase productivity the Government needs to invest to increase capacity and create reliable, sustainable connections for the North East. The North East has faced historic underinvestment in its transport network. With only one track north and one track south between Northallerton and Berwick the East Coast Main Line faces severe capacity and reliability issues. There simply isn’t enough space for the connections the region needs. The East Coast Main Line was highlighted by the National Infrastructure Commission as a key route for investment in its proposals, we need to see a major upgrade to the route north of York in the Integrated Rail Plan with a focus on improving capacity rather than focussing purely on speed. Investment in the East Coast Main Line between Northallerton and Berwick needs to be made over the period 2024-34 in order that sufficient capacity can be provided for passenger and freight services. This can be achieved through the reinstatement of the disused Leamside Line between Pelaw in Gateshead and Ferryhill in County Durham coupled with upgrades for the existing East Coast Main Line, including the complimentary route between Northallerton and Norton and between Norton and Ferryhill (the Stillington line). A key element of this is providing W12 gauge clearance of the full parallel route between Northallerton and Ferryhill to enable all existing and future freight to use it. Fortunately, reinstating the Leamside line in full, along with upgrades to the line between Northallerton and Norton and to the Stillington line, could be delivered relatively quickly because unlike new build it does not need new legislation or the purchase of land. Better still, creating this new continuous parallel route to the East Coast Main Line would improve rail journeys for thousands of existing passengers each day, and its economic impact would be felt across England and Scotland. The East Coast Main Line is a key economic route providing vital connections to Scotland, the rest of the North, the Midlands and London as well as allowing businesses to move their goods more sustainably by freight to our region’s ports. Central to our region’s ambitions is the urgent need to improve the East Coast Main Line to allow for reliable connections to the North East. The line is currently unreliable due to there being only one track north and one track south between Northallerton and Berwick. This track is being used by local, long distance and freight trains, there simply isn’t enough space for the connections the region needs. These capacity issues are causing delays with passenger services stuck behind slow moving freight trains and disruption leaving the North East cut off from the network as there are no alternative routes. Research from Invest East Coast shows that halving the number of delays on the East Coast Mainline over 10 minutes would deliver an extra £62.7 million a year for the UK’s economy. Investment in the route will increase capacity and resilience across the rail network as well as benefiting the wider UK economy. Increased capacity on the East Coast Main Line will also allow for more frequent local rail services and for more stops on the intercity routes, creating better connections for the Tees Valley linking to the Darlington and Middlesbrough station redevelopments and for Chester-Le-Street and Northumberland. Without more capacity on the network these communities will continue to be served by infrequent links. Regular connections from the East Coast Main Line to the rest of the North East are also essential. Improvements to Darlington and Middlesbrough stations have been highlighted by the Commission in their report as quick wins to increase capacity and help to deliver more services along with the Northumberland Line scheme to provide connections between Newcastle and Ashington. Investment in the Durham Coast line must not be overlooked. The route links some of the largest centres of population in the North East, including Sunderland, with plans to double the resident population of the city centre it will become an increasingly well-used transport hub. Parts of the route have suffered from under- investment over the years, end to end rail journey times from Newcastle to Middlesbrough are considerably slower than travelling by car. Additional capacity is also much needed at Hartlepool station to meet demand. We support these schemes as quick wins offering Government an early opportunity to commit to the ‘levelling up’ agenda. Strong regional links are key for the North East; however we shouldn’t have to choose between local investment and reliable links to the rest of the North and the Midlands. HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail delivered with improvements to the East Coast Main Line will deliver over £11 billion of wider economic benefits to the UK’s economy according to Invest East Coast. The only way to provide the connectivity and capacity the North so badly needs is by delivering the eastern leg of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail in full. We need large projects like HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail to reach the North East and open up investment opportunities here. As an example, the Darlington HS2 Growth Hub proposal envisages around £100 million of investment. It would provide over 59,000 square metres of new business space and almost 1,500 homes, with the station connecting to the Central Park Enterprise Zone. Encouraging investment in the North East will be essential as part of the economic recovery for the region. Improved connectivity will help to encourage businesses to invest in the region and create new opportunities for trade. Data from Transport for the North has shown that 106,540 more businesses will be able to connect with Newcastle within 90 minutes with Northern Powerhouse Rail. This will help to connect key sectors in the North opening up new supply chain and trading opportunities as well as making the North East more attractive for investors. As the Commission’s report shows, increasing rail spend could transform the North’s economy by increasing productivity, facilitating trade and encouraging investment in new areas. In order to drive economic growth as part of the recovery for the North East we need investment in our connections. Improved connectivity will help to open- up new markets and boost investment in the North East, create new jobs and training opportunities for people as well as encouraging sustainable travel and supporting the tourism and leisure industry. Without this much needed investment our region’s potential will continue to be held back by out-dated infrastructure. If the Government plans to limit spending this will curtail investment in the North East and harm our economic recovery. We need Government to be ambitious in its ‘build back better’ programme and commit to investing in truly transformational projects for the North. Offering a more frequent and reliable rail service both regionally and long-distance will help to encourage people to use rail to transport goods, to travel to work, meetings with clients and for leisure. This will help to take cars off the roads and reduce congestion in the North East, helping to encourage more sustainable travel across the region. Both the Chamber, our members and the region’s political leaders have been campaigning for increased capacity on the East Coast Main Line to create improved connectivity. There is already a united voice from the region and the evidence showcasing the need for investment. The Government now needs to act and commit to investing in the North East in the Integrated Rail Plan. Yours sincerely, James Ramsbotham, CBE DL, CEO, North East England Chamber of Commerce Councillor Martin Gannon Leader of Gateshead Council Councillor Nick Forbes Leader of Newcastle City Council Councillor Graeme Miller Leader of Sunderland City Council Councillor Simon Henig Leader of Durham County Council Councillor Glen Sanderson Leader of Northumberland County Council Councillor Tracey Dixon Leader of South Tyneside Council Councillor Carl Marshall North East board member for Transport for the North Mayor Norma Redfearn Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Mayor Jamie Driscoll Mayor of the North of Tyne Combined Authority Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair,