Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is visiting the North East of England today to commit to reinvigorating rail connections for communities.
He will also outline how new investment will boost the network as the government looks at levelling up infrastructure across England.
Upon his visit to Horden Peterlee, a £10.55 million project which is set to be finished this year, Mr Shapps has hailed the importance of expanding the rail network to ensure passengers have journeys to rely on.
Horden Peterlee will improve connections for an area with no station for over 12 miles, the station will be served by 1 train an hour calling at all stations between Newcastle and Middlesborough. It has also been supported by £4.4 million from the Department for Transport's New Stations Fund.
The Transport Secretary will also visit Blyth to see the potential for restoring passenger services along the Ashington to Blyth line, which was closed following the Beeching cuts.
The government has confirmed it will create a £500 million fund to explore reopening former routes which could benefit communities who lost vital transport connections.
What did the officials say?
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
2020 will be a year of action on the railways with the north sitting at the heart of the improvements.
Investing in new stations like Horden Peterlee will deliver more modern, reliable services for passengers. We are also ambitious to restore connections to communities who have lost out, and the Northumberland line has huge potential to deliver that.
Our focus is levelling up infrastructure across the country, ensuring passengers see the benefit of new trains, new stations and fairer fares.
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Perhaps he should go visit Soham in Cambridgeshire and to allow construction of the new railway station at Soham to be built. As Worcestershire Parkway is scheduled to open either this week or it could still be delayed. With Robroyston and Warrington West railway stations that have opened late last year.