Call for rebalancing of transport investment as research finds services from London to be much quicker than those in the north

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Trains connecting Britain’s major towns and cities are up to four times slower outside the south-east, according to research.



Press Association analysis of the quickest possible trains on 19 routes found that services from London travel at average speeds of 65-93mph, compared with 20-60mph elsewhere.

The slowest route featured in the study was Liverpool Central to Chester, which takes 41 minutes to make the 14-mile journey (as the crow flies) at 20mph. Passengers travelling from London Paddington to Reading cover a distance more than two-and-a-half times longer in 17 minutes less, at 93mph.

Other routes featured in the research include Leeds to Sheffield (42mph), Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads (30mph), and Edinburgh to Perth (25mph).

Passengers travelling from London to other major destinations often have the choice of non-stop trains – meaning lower journey times – or stopping services.

Many of the slowest routes featured in the analysis, which featured trains operating on Fridays, are served only by trains with multiple stops.

Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, claimed the figures highlighted the “investment deficit that is seriously undermining growth potential in the north”.

All aboard the north’s rail powerhouse Read more

He said: “You simply cannot deliver a ‘northern powerhouse’ as long as the regions that delivered the industrial revolution are reliant on transport infrastructure that is operating on a 19th-century timetable.”

Luke Raikes, a senior research fellow at thinktank IPPR North, said slow journey times were “down to decades of underinvestment as the government has just responded to congestion problems in London”.

More than 85,000 people have signed the organisation’s petition calling on the government to boost east-west rail services in northern England.

The thinktank claims £1,943 is being spent per person in London on current or planned transport projects compared with £427 in the north.

Lianna Etkind, of the Campaign for Better Transport, called on the government to “rebalance transport investment” by reversing the decision to cancel electrification projects.

The transport secretary, Chris Grayling sparked anger last month by supporting a new £30bn Crossrail 2 scheme in London and the south-east, days after a series of rail electrification projects in Wales, the Midlands and the north were axed or downgraded.

Political and business officials gathered at a transport summit in Leeds on Wednesday, with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, saying “the patience of people in the north of England has run out”.

Bruce Williamson, the spokesman for campaign group Railfuture, said some journeys were “painfully slow” and this made the railways uncompetitive against other forms of transport such as cars – with negative consequences for the economy and the environment.

“The business community of the north has recognised the need to improve journey times,” he said. “It’s desperately needed.”

Paul Plummer, the chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said: “It’s misleading to compare stopping services with intercity services, which are faster because they stop at fewer stations, but of course we need to continue investing to keep improving journeys across the country.

“Rail plays a vital role in connecting communities and driving economic growth across the country, which is why the industry is working together to deliver projects such as Great North Rail and introduce over 5,500 new carriages and 6,400 extra services a week by 2021.”





