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Former Chancellor George Osborne says Theresa May needs to show support for his flagship Northern Powerhouse project by backing an HS3 rail link from Liverpool to Hull.

Osborne, an MP for Tatton in the North West for 16 years, demands a switch from focusing on London, with his scheme being modelled more on the capital’s Crossrail than HS2, which links London and Birmingham.

The Government is committed to Osborne’s pet project.

But what are the main issues and what must be done to tackle the North/South divide in terms of infrastructure?

Q. What are the problems?

A. Train lines built in the 1800s, some services doing as little as 10mph and not enough trains.

Luke Raikes, senior research fellow of think-tank IPPR North, says: “The frequency and quality of commutes are not good enough.

“This also causes problems with the roads because people are using their cars instead, making the roads more congested.”

(Image: Getty)

Some train lines were built in the Victorian era, including freight train routes between Liverpool and North Yorkshire, meaning slow speeds.

Paul Hirst, head of transport at Addleshaw Goddard law firm in Leeds, says: “Communities are being cut off from the rest of the country but by bringing them closer together with better transport links, we can improve the economy.”

Q. So what is being spent on schemes in the North?

A. Luke says there is a woeful divide, saying: “If the North had seen the same investment per head as London in the past 10 years, there would be £59billion more invested in the North.

“If we look at the Government’s plans moving forward, there is going to be an even bigger gap — with more than five times more being spent on London.”

(Image: Getty)

Paul says a lack of transport links are holding back northern cities.

He adds: “There is a question mark about the future of investment in northern infrastructure schemes.”

Q. How is this affecting people day to day?

A. Bus cuts have left many communities, particularly in North Yorkshire, isolated.

Luke says: “It means many people are being cut off, particularly older people. They can’t access shops, and hospitals.”

Paul says services, especially around Leeds, are over-crowded.

This makes commuting miserable with workers and businesses put off from taking northern jobs or investing in.

Q. How will the situation be improved?

A. HS3 — otherwise known as Northern Powerhouse Rail or Crossrail for the North – aims to improve connectivity.

(Image: WireImage)

Luke adds there are “huge tourist attractions in the North pulling people in internationally” – but often it’s impossible to get to them.

Paul agrees, saying: “The economy needs to be re-balanced between the North and the South. The best way of doing that is to improve transport connectivity.”

But the Government says it is already investing “billions of pounds across the north of England to better connect communities”.

Q. What else could help?

A. Luke says: “Education and training needs to be improved in the north more generally – that’s a top priority to work alongside our transport plans, as it’s what will really shift the bar when it comes to improving the northern economy.”

Better education and training will also provide more jobs, and make the economy less London-centric, Paul argues.

Q. How is HS2 affecting the HS3 plans?

A. Although HS3 is a separate decision for the Government to make, there needs to be better links across the north east to the north west – as well as the north to the south, Luke argues.

“Investment in the north need to be prioritised,” he says.

Paul adds: “We need a commitment from the Government that they will invest in HS3, like they have committed to HS2.

“If they don’t do that soon, there will be increased concern that as concept it will fall away.”

Q. What about fares?

A. Commuters in London are used to using their Oyster card tickets or even their bank cards ti simply pay for their daily travels but it is not so simple elsewhere in the country.

Luke argues that the north needs more control over bus fares and should switch to similar smart ticketing schemes.

“More than two thirds of journeys in Greater Manchester are made by bus – but this has led to hyper-competition,” he explains. “Because certain areas are more demand for bus routes in the city, less popular areas with fewer or no routes are more expensive.

“We want buses in the north to have the same power as buses in London, with more control over the timing and frequency, which will also bring down fares.”

Q. And other services?

A. Freight paths and freight connectivity between ports are also important to the northern economy, Paul argues.

An example of a painfully slow freight service includes the journey between Liverpool and Selby in North Yorkshire, which takes an eye-watering 10 hours to travel a 95-mile journey – when it could take just three.

This wastes time and money, Paul argues.

“It’s not just about passenger services,” he says. “Freight services still count for 80% of journeys being made overall. Without looking into this factor as well, you’re continue to stagnate the economy between cities in the north.”

(Image: Getty)

Journey times to favourite destinations

1. Manchester to Thornton Science Park in Ellesmere Port (35 miles, approx 49mins by car). Public transport: 1h 45mins.

2. Leeds to Fountains Abbey, Ripon (28 miles, approx 57mins by car). Public transport: 2hrs 33mins.

3. Bradford to Meadowhall, Sheffield (37 miles, approx 55mins by car). Public transport: 1hr 40mins.

4. York to Whitby Abbey, Whitby (48 miles, approx 1hr 18mins by car). Public transport: 2hrs 54mins.

5. Richmond in North Yorks to Ingleton, Carnforth, Yorkshire Dales (47 miles, approx1hr 22mins by car). Public transport: 4hr 53mins.

6. Angel of North, Gateshead to Theakston Brewery in Masham, North Yorks (56 miles, approx 1hr 5mins by car). Pub transport: 3hr 27mins.

7. Alnwick, Nothumberland, to Kielder Water Forest Park, Northumberland (50 miles, approx 1hr 24mins). Public transport: 5hrs 3mins.

8. Morecambe to Appleby-in-Westmorland (45 miles, approximately 55mins by car). Public transport: 2hrs 19mins.

9. Northwich, Cheshire, to Alton Towers, Stoke-on-Trent (38 miles, approximately 1hr 14mins by car). Public transport: 2hrs 52mins.

10. Liverpool to Bolton Abbey, near Skipton (76 miles, approximately 1hr 46mins by car). Public transport: 3hr 11mins.