Thousands sign northern transport petition

Over 55,000 people have now signed a petition calling on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to increase investment in public transport in the north of England.

The petition adds to pressure as the government has come under fire by announcing backing for a £31bn Crossrail 2 rail scheme in London, just days after cancelling plans to electrify key rail routes, as well as scaling back on its long-standing commitment to electrify the Transpennine route  between Manchester and Leeds.

New analysis by IPPR North, a dedicated think tank for the north of England, says that over the past decade public spending on transport in London has been more than double that in the north. It added that, the north would have received £59bn more in investment over the last decade if it had received the same per person for transport as London.

The campaign group behind the petition, 38 Degrees, is calling for millions more pounds of investment.

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