Thursday 5 March 2020

AB&T Line reopening in doubt following Government redefining the ‘North’?

Today's news that following the re-nationalisation of Northern Rail, Local Authorities in the North of the region have been removed from the body which will look at future investments in rail by the Government, Its expected this major change will damage the future of the reopening of the AB&T Line to passenger transport.

 Doubts on the Tories commitment to the re opening of the line following a run down of their blanket news stories issued to bolster PR opportunities for their new MP for Blyth Valley, have been brought to the fore following a visit from the Government's transport minister Grant Schapps, who didn’t pledge anywhere near the £90M required to get this mineral line up and running for passenger transport.

 The chosen by Government service provider for the AB&T Line was to be Arriva, who have just been kicked out of the Northern Rail Franchise by Nick Hurd,  the man who replaced Schapps in Johnson's new cabinet, leaving this headline project up in the air.

 Mainstream media have expressed the opinions on investment cuts by Nick Forbes of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead’s Martin Gannon who represented the North of the region on Transport for the North while Councillor Peter Jackson has remained silent on the AB&T Lines future as the Tory Tees Valley Mayor is promoted by Nick Hurd to represent the north-east.




Public Sector Pay Down 20% through ‘Conservative Austerity’ years yet Public Servants are expected to absorb an £81 per month drop in living standards?

  The 1997 introduction of ‘agenda for change’ in the NHS and ‘Single Status’ in Local Government was extremely progressive towards achievin...