Integrated Rail Plan: North and Midlands

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 11:15 am on 18 November 2021.

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Photo of Edward Leigh Edward Leigh Conservative, Gainsborough 11:15, 18 November 2021

HS2 was always a white elephant, but as far as the east coast is concerned, it is now a white elephant missing a leg. We were promised that it would relieve congestion on the east coast main line because it would go to Leeds. Where is that promise?

There is one promise that the Secretary of State can keep. For years, as my hon. Friend Martin Vickers said, we have been promised a through train that would serve a quarter of a million people and go from Grimsby and Cleethorpes, through Market Rasen in my constituency and Lincoln, down to London. We are still waiting. Just saying, “We are working on it,” is not enough. We have had these promises again and again. Will I be standing here in 2043, when I am 93, still asking for my train?