BUSINESS leaders across the North have united to accuse the Government of a “massive U-turn” on rail investment in the region.

Three major Chambers of Commerce, representing 8,700 Northern businesses, called on the Government to commit to a “long term programme of regular and significant investment” and give firm dates for work to start on the planned Northern Powerhouse Rail high-speed line, described as the ‘Crossrail of the North’.

The rare move comes after Transport Secretary Chris Grayling sparked anger by appearing to backtrack on plans to fully electrify the Transpennine route, while giving his renewed backing to London’s multi-billion-pound Crossrail 2 project.

Last month, Mr Grayling scrapped three electrification projects in the North-West, Midlands and Wales and also said electrifying the whole of the Transpennine route from Leeds to Manchester via Huddersfield, as planned, could be too difficult.

He said instead they could electrify only parts of the route, and use ‘bi-modal’ trains which run on both electric and standard tracks.

The strongly-worded new statement, from West and North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Liverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce, said that “many businesses in the North are concerned and frustrated by what is being seen as a massive U-turn and a backing away from promised investment in the rail infrastructure”.

Gerald Jennings, from West and North Yorkshire Chamber, said: “Our region’s businesses need to see and hear commitment to improved east-west rail connectivity if the full benefits of future rail investments, including HS2, are to be captured. The ability to move people efficiently across the North increases the size of the available labour market and, in turn, builds potential for companies to grow their organisations safe in the knowledge that access to talent will not be a significant barrier.”

Chris Fletcher, of Greater Manchester Chamber, said some rail improvements were planned over the next few years but there was then a “serious gap” until the development of a high-speed line from east to west, with no date yet set for this scheme.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “Building transport infrastructure in the north has the potential to drive economic growth, create jobs and spread wealth across the country.

“That is why we are investing over £1bn to improve rail infrastructure across the North of England and are working with Transport for the North to cut journey times and increase capacity between the major cities of the north.”

She said longer-term, they were investing £55.7bn in HS2 and had committed £60m to developing route options for Northern Powerhouse Rail.