Reform UK leader Richard Tice has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, accusing him of a "great train robbery" after the government confirmed it has formally abandoned plans for the flagship Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project.
The dramatic U-turn represents a broken Conservative manifesto promise and has ignited fury among northern leaders and business groups who were promised a transformative transport revolution.
The Death of a Manifesto Pledge
In a written statement that largely flew under the radar, Rail Minister Huw Merriman confirmed the government would not be building the new high-speed line between Manchester and Liverpool. This line was the central pillar of the much-vaunted Northern Powerhouse Rail network.
Instead, the government's new plan, dubbed "Network North", merely proposes a series of minor upgrades to existing tracks. This falls drastically short of the vision sold to voters in the 2019 election, which promised "Northern Powerhouse Rail, a new high-speed line connecting the North".
Tice's Blistering Condemnation
Richard Tice did not mince words, directly blaming the Prime Minister for the decision. "Rishi Sunak has personally stolen the economic future of the North," he stated.
"This was a solemn promise to voters, a key part of levelling up. By cancelling NPR, Sunak has shown his true colours. He simply does not care about the North or its people. This is a betrayal of the highest order and a great train robbery of investment and opportunity."
A Region Short-Changed
The cancellation is a severe blow to the economic ambitions of Northern England. The full NPR project was designed to drastically cut journey times, increase capacity, and boost connectivity between major economic hubs like Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.
Business leaders have warned that the decision will hamper productivity, deter investment, and widen the North-South divide for generations to come. The watered-down plan of minimal upgrades is seen as a poor substitute that fails to address the fundamental capacity constraints of the Victorian-era rail infrastructure.
The government's move to scrap NPR, following the earlier cancellation of the HS2 leg to Manchester, leaves its "levelling up" agenda in tatters and signals a dramatic retreat from its commitments to regional development.
