Following the speech today (4 October) by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee and Leader of Gateshead Council, said:

“I am hugely disappointed that the northern leg of HS2 has been scrapped. This is further disappointment for the North following the cancellation of the Eastern leg and Northern Powerhouse Rail, which was so vital for East-West connections and included the reopening of the Leamside Line. We stand united with the city regions of the North and the Midlands in our desire for both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) to be built in full. 

“It is however positive that the government has recognised some of our local priorities including the long-campaigned for Leamside Line and the A1 Morpeth to Ellingham scheme. Although they in no way compensate for the enormous national economic damage caused by the cancellation of the HS2 and NPR projects, it does appear that some new funding has been allocated to the region as a result of the Prime Minister’s announcement and so we look forward to receiving the details in due course.

“With the constant chopping and changing it is hard not to be sceptical about the government’s long-term commitment to new announcements about infrastructure projects, but I hope that we can salvage a positive outcome for our region.”

Read more about our campaign to re-open the Leamside Line here.