Prime minister Liz Truss has unveiled a second U-turn by the government this week with confirmation that a £25bn upgrade to the rail link across the Pennines will now go ahead.
Just hours after confirming that her planned reduction in the 45p top rate of tax would be scrapped, Truss also reversed predecessor Boris Johnson’s scaling back of the Northern Powerhouse rail scheme.
Truss had vowed to build an electrified line between Liverpool and Hull as part of her manifesto in the Tory election contest and confirmed yesterday that it would also stop at a new station to be built in Bradford.
“It will stop at Bradford. I'm very clear about that,” Truss told ITV.
The commitment comes at a time when Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng are facing fierce criticism over the hefty spending plans revealed in their mini-Budget and just how they will be paid for.
Infrastructure schemes traditionally fall by the wayside when government finances get tight and Lord Wolfson, Next's chief executive, has already called for the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham (HS2) to be scrapped, saving almost £100bn.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, however, welcomed the northern rail initiative.
"Getting clarity on what exactly Northern Powerhouse Rail will entail is essential for businesses looking to invest here," he said.
Bradford council’s Labour leader Susan Hinchcliffe also welcomed the plans.
"Today's announcement is a positive step forward," she said.