The proposed loss of a third of Darlington’s mainline trains will not affect the governments decision to relocate the Treasury to the town, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak has said.
However local political leaders have reacted angrily to the plans, saying the north-east is facing a “near disaster scenario” which gives the green light to cutting many essential services.
The new East Coast Mainline timetable, which comes into effect in May 2022 and is behind the controversy proposing the axing of one third of Darlington’s mainline trains.
This revised timetable increases the number of trains between Newcastle and London from two to three per hour. As a consequence, the number of trains between Newcastle and Manchester via Durham and Darlington will be halved, from two, to one per hour.
Other routes are also affected with the number of trains from Berwick and Darlington to the capital cut by a third and future plans to increase services between Teesside, Sunderland and Newcastle have been postponed.
Reacting to the loss of train services in the region, Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen said: “This news is a kick in the teeth for local people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”
He added: “We are investing a huge amount of money in order to make sure railway stations across my region are fit for purpose and I expect train operators to provide good quality services passengers rightfully demand and which they promised to deliver.”
It is not only Tees Valley who have been working hard to improve its rail-based infrastructure. Darlington Borough Council (DBC) has lodged the first stages of its £100m plans to redevelop the grade II* listed Bank Top Station, with an overhaul of land to the west of the 19th century building. If successful the application will see the demolition of one of the oldest railway taverns in the country, Hogan’s public house on Victoria Road, adjacent to the railway station.
The scheme is part of large-scale plans to accommodate expected future demands for rail travel and accommodate HS2, the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme and to create a modern rail hub for the Tees Valley.
Leader of DBC, councillor Heather Scott said: “I will be attending a meeting in the coming weeks to understand more about what is being proposed but will clearly be arguing strongly against any reduction in the number of services in Darlington.” She added: “The station development should not be affected.”
Other north-east-political leaders have voiced their concerns. Gateshead Council Leader, Martin Gannon said: “It’s almost like a disaster scenario for the north-east and significantly hampers the economic prospects of major centres of population.”
Mr Gannon added: “I am doing my best not to get annoyed. We are investing in Sunderland railway station, there are major announcements about investment in Darlington railway station – all to watch trains drive past.”
A few short months ago it appeared that nothing could go wrong for Teesside and the north-east.
In March, the Government announced its new Northern Economic Campus, which Chancellor Rishi said would be based in Darlington, and will provide work for 750 Treasury officials. It is also hoped that 300 of these workers would be based in Darlington within a year.
On the same day Mr Sunak announced Tees Valley was to be one of the first places to get Freeport status under the new Government policy to create Freeports across the country. Covering 4,500 acres, the Teesside Freeport will the largest in the UK.
In a follow up announcement, it emerged that the Department for International Trade, the Government department responsible for the UK’s global business, including post-Brexit trading agreements, will relocate as many as 500 workers to Darlington.
The proposed loss of a third of Darlington’s mainline trains will not affect the Treasury’s decision to move to the town, the Chancellor has said.
Arriving by train from London on a visit to Darlington to check out office space Mr Sunak said: “Of course the connectivity to London is important but this office should not be about people who commute between London and Darlington.”
Talking about the future he added: “My vision for this is that we want people to live and work here, that’s what it is all about.”
In pointing out that the proposals are at the consultation stage a spokesperson for LNER said: “Our proposed May 2022 timetable has been developed by Network Rail with all train and freight operators on the East Coast Main Line.”
“It has involved balancing long-distance, high-speed, regional and commuter/local services alongside the needs of the rail freight sector. Due to this approach, our focus on maximising the benefits of investment in the East Coast Main Line for passengers and managing remaining compacity constraints on the route, the timetable does involve a series of trade-offs.”
The spokesperson added: “The purpose of our consultation is to seek views on the proposed changes, which include 39 more LNER services each weekday, up to 17,000 extra seats per day and reduced journey times and on long-distance services between London, the East Midlands, the North of England and Scotland, while protecting reliability.”
Taking a differing view to the Chancellor, Mr Houchen is more concerned about the effects the cuts will have on the people who already live on Teesside rather than those who are expected to arrive there.
Mr Houchen said: “It is unacceptable that LNER are planning on cutting trains to London by a third and postponing services to Sunderland and Newcastle.” He added: “In the coming days and weeks I will be urging LNER to reverse these regressive timetable changes; changes that do nothing to support local people to use the railway more.”
LNER is owned by the Department for Transport and took over the InterCity East Coast franchise in June 2018. The previous privately owned operator Virgin Trains East Coast returned it to the government following sustained financial difficulties.
