Rt. Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP
Secretary of State
Department for Transport
London
SW1P 4DR
November 2015,
Dear Patrick,
We are writing to ask you to approve the plans put forward by Hull Trains nearly 2 years ago, to electrify the track between Hull and Selby.
This scheme, which is nearly all privately financed, is absolutely vital for Hull. This short stretch of track is our link with the East Coast and Transpennine rail networks. Without electrification we will not be able to benefit from the new trains and extra investment in the rest of the network, including HS2.
A true Transpennine link needs to be Hull to Liverpool, and ending the electrification 30 miles short in Selby undermines the Government's claims to be making a Northern Powerhouse.
We ask that you make a decision on this scheme urgently. Doing so now would enable work to begin in time for electrification to be completed alongside the rest of the Transpennine network.
Best wishes,
Diana Johnson MP