Introduction
The third area in which the new NE Mayor will have some power and some funding is in transport. This is an area where there is a general consensus that much needs to be done to improve the system that we have in the region.
There are many problems with the transport network of the region at present, with a desperate need to move towards a carbon-free system, while according to Vicki Gilbert, chair of the Northeast Public Transport Users Group, 49% of the public have been recorded as saying that they would never use public transport.
The Metro service is not what it should be, while bus services are unreliable and rural areas are particularly poorly served by public transport. There is limited funding, with £1.4 billion investment from the government for all the areas of responsibility for the NE Mayor, so other funds would have to be sought to complement what is available, but there are things they could do.
So, what could a NE Mayor do in terms of improving transport links in the region?
Meeting the public’s needs
The priority must be linking public transport with the public’s needs. A new NE Mayor needs to find out from communities what their needs are, so that a needs-based public transport system can be established.
It is the public who have the greatest knowledge of what they need. A NE Mayor could therefore, in conjunction with local authorities launch a survey into what the real needs of the people of the region are, in relation to public transport.
This could include free public transport for under-18s. so that they can get to school and college more easily by public transport and encourage them to get into the habit of using public transport.
A fully integrated public transport system
Part of this needs-based system could be a fully integrated transport system for the Northeast, including extending the Metro and better transport for west Newcastle as well. Buses and Metro should be part of the same system so that people can easily transfer from one to the other.
Similarly, it seems silly that the Metro ends up in Sunderland at a dead end at South Hylton, when it could be extended round to Washington and then back in a full loop to Heworth on Gateshead. Washington is said to be the fourth biggest town in the UK, without a rail link and it would make sense to put this right.
It was reported in the Chronicle in November 2022 that MPs from across the political divide had made their case for the Government to fund an extension to the Tyne-Wear Metro which would connect Washington with Sunderland and Newcastle.
It was also noted that the project to create the Washington Metro Loop would cost £745m, at a time when the Government is indicating it will cut public spending.
This would be mean that it would be unlikely for all the funding to come from the NE Mayor, but a NE Mayor could work with others to get the funding for this project. The link could have a huge impact on both alleviating congestion on roads in and around Washington and on getting carbon emissions down.
Leamside Line
Part of the plan to develop a Washington loop on the Metro from South Hylton involves reopening the Leamside Line.
Transport Northeast argue that the reopening of the Leamside Lane is the most important piece of economic infrastructure for the future economic growth of the Northeast. They think the reopening of the Leamside Lane will, “enable parts of the region, who have no access to rail, to be connected with Newcastle, Sunderland and Teesside, as well as with significant employers like Nissan and Amazon.”
The government has removed the Leamside Line from its Network North pledges.
New Civil Engineer reported in November 2023 that Transport minister Huw Merriman had stated: “funding is there” for reopening the disused Leamside line in the North East. It was further noted that, Huw Merriman had attended an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Leamside line meeting the previous week to: “discuss the viability of reinstating the 34 km railway line that runs from Gateshead to County Durham, connecting with the East Coast Main Line (ECML)”.
NEXUS report on Leamside Line
It was reported by NEXUS in March 2024 that: “North East England has been awarded funding which will be used to develop a new business case for Leamside Line South – a section on the disused railway line running from Washington to Ferryhill in County Durham.” It was further reported that the Government had awarded the region £350,000 in funding to be used to progress a new Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for Leamside South – a pivotal part of the process required to re-open the line. However, four days earlier Speaking on a visit to the Northumberland Line in Blyth, Mr Merriman said his department would provide ‘resources’ to move towards a business case. However, he said it would be, “up to the Northeast to decide if they wanted the line to progress.”
A Northeast Mayor could help to push the case for the reopening of the Leamside Line, particularly in relation to extending the Metro to Washington. The reopening of the Leamside Line could improve both the economy of the region, by allowing there to be a loop on the Metro, from South Hylton to Heworth via Washington and free up more space for the Northeast mainline and help to bring down pollution and enable us to move towards a zero-carbon economy.
West Newcastle
Similarly, there is a need for better public transport links on the west side of Newcastle, which could be facilitated by a new NE Mayor.
The west side of the city has long suffered because of not having the Metro. Despite many plans for trams and other improvements for the west of Newcastle, no real improvements have been made.
A new NE Mayor could put this right.
Public ownership of public transport
A Northeast Mayor could also lead the drive for public ownership for public transport in the region.
Public transport should be a public service, yet currently it is run more by the profit motive.
Consequently, bus services are cut, leaving vulnerable people isolated and meaning that many places are not adequately served by public transport.
Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin, the elected mayors for Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire respectively, have both introduced publicly owned public transport systems for their regions and a NE Mayor could do the same for us.
One region, one ticket
The public ownership of an integrated transport system should also mean that ticketing can become much easier for passengers.
There could be a system whereby one ticket could take you anywhere from Bishop Auckland in the south to Berwick in the north, with the aim of making public transport as cheap and accessible for people as possible.
Again, with the establishment of one elected mayor for the region, this objective can come a step closer.
A public transport system accessible to all
Speaking of making public transport more accessible for people, a NE Mayor could also initiate more work being done to make our public transport truly accessible for all people whatever their circumstances.
This could include ensuring that there is disabled access on all public transport in our region.
While much good work has been done in this area in recent years, there is more work to be done and this could be led by the newly elected NE Mayor.
A public transport system safe for all
Alongside this, a NE Mayor could also take action to ensure that public transport is made safer.
There is a particular issue in terms of women often choosing not to use public transport, especially in the evening, because of safety fears.
In the third decade of the 21st century, this really should be unacceptable to all of us.
A new NE Mayor could lead a drive for more lighting and CCTV as well as more staff on rail and the Metro system, to ensure that people are safer and crucially that they feel safer.
Better public transport in rural areas
Another priority area for a NE Mayor, with regards to improving transport links in the region, would be for better public transport links in rural areas.
Currently, many of the large and sparsely populated rural areas of the Northeast have poor public transport connections and there is a desperate ned for a better bus service.
It would be hoped that a publicly owned public transport system, run for the benefit of passengers not shareholders, would help to alleviate this problem.
Links with Scotland and the rest of the North
The final area in which a NE Mayor could help improve transport links for our region is to work with the other elected mayors in the North of England and the devolved administration in Edinburgh to help improve our links with other parts of Northern England to our south and with Scotland to the north.
The train service between Newcastle and Edinburgh needs improving, while we still need the high-speed rail line from Newcastle to Liverpool across the Pennines. which has been mooted and then cancelled so many times.
Conclusion
There is much that needs to be improved about our transport system in the Northeast and consequently much that a NE Mayor could do.
There is limited funding, but if other funding can also be found then a NE Mayor could do several positive things.
Firstly could find out what people in the region really need in terms of public transport.
Next they could bring public transport back into public hands, to help ensure a better service with more regular services, particularly, but not only, in the region’s rural areas.
Then they could lead the development of an integrated public transport system and the expansion of the Metro south of the Tyne, with the reopening of the Leamside Line, to complement the reopening of the Newcastle to Ashington passenger services north of the Tyne.
Finally they could also help to deliver a safer and more accessible public transport system for the people of our region, while also strengthening our vital links with Scotland and other parts of Northern England.
