Northern Powerhouse Rail

Clive Betts Excerpts

Wednesday 14th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

The £445 million investment that was announced in the spending review is historic, and we recognise that there has been under-investment in Welsh infrastructure. However, this is really significant investment that will deliver new stations, faster journeys and better services for passengers, as well as connecting people to jobs and driving economic growth.

[Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)]

I thank the Secretary of State for the improvements announced to the Sheffield-Leeds line and for some of the improvements to the Sheffield-Manchester line, although I agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell) that we need a through route to Manchester airport as well.

I particularly want to ask the Secretary of State about the tram-train project. She and the Mayor Oliver Coppard have committed to working on the business case for that project, and my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Dr Tidball) has been fighting for it as well. Germany has been running tram-trains for 40 years, and the one pilot scheme in this country, involving a service between Sheffield and Rotherham, has been a success. Can the Secretary of State now see the development of tram-trains generating growth, housing and jobs in Sheffield as a precursor to rolling them out across the country, which would benefit a lot more areas?

[Heidi Alexander]

My hon. Friend and I have been speaking about the issue of tram-trains in recent months, and I have also had more recent conversations with the Mayor of South Yorkshire about his aspirations in that regard. I look forward to working closely with him to ensure that we integrate properly the benefits that will be brought through Northern Powerhouse Rail, including schemes that my hon. Friend wants to be promoted in the South Yorkshire combined authority area.