LEAMSIDE LINE: Meeting with the Rail Minister
Today I joined colleagues from across the House to meet with the Rail Minister to discuss further progress on the Leamside Line.
We had constructive discussions outlining our key ask that the Government should help the region develop the Business Case and identify the funding, the Minister was clear about the funding pressures that exist but undertook to review the case provided, and to revert initially by the end of March. I am pleased that the Minister has taken the time to hear us and look forward to his observations on the submission.
The Washington Metro Loop represents the starting gun for this transformational project.
The Loop alone will bring a range of benefits for our region, including:
Create nearly 8 million additional passenger journeys each year.
Generate over £90 million in economic benefits each year.
Reduce carbon emissions by nearly 87,000 tonnes/yr by replacing nearly 1.7mn car journeys per year.
The case couldn’t be clearer. #ReopenTheLine
