The Government’s 162-page rail plan for the north contains no mention of Cumbria.
Commenting on the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan for the North and the Midlands, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “It’s absolutely gobsmacking that the Government have published a 162-page rail plan for the North, with not a single mention whatsoever of Cumbria.
“Meanwhile they’ve shamefully axed plans for HS3 from Manchester to Leeds, which would have been so beneficial to improving East-West connectivity in the North, which quite frankly is far more important than making it a bit quicker to get to London.
“So today the Conservatives have not only betrayed the North, but they’ve shown that they don’t even understand us.
“Cumbria deserves better than this.”
In the 162-page document, Carlisle is mentioned twice at the top of two maps demonstrating the upgrades, with a new line only going as far as Manchester. Between Manchester and Carlisle, HS2 will join the West Coast Mainline.
