Greater Manchester will get an extra £16m for buses from the government next year. The city-region received £94.8m to spend over three years from the same pot of funding, but the cash which has helped subsidise bus fares is still set to run out in 2025, as it stands.
Transport secretary 'PROUD' of axing HS2 to Manchester
05.10.2023 - 09:45 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said he was 'proud' of the decision to cut HS2 to Manchester - and shrugged off criticism from ex-Tory Prime Minister David Cameron and former Chancellor George Osborne. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used his speech at the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday to confirm he has axed Phases 2a and 2b of the high-speed railway.
Mr Cameron said the decision would fuel the view that Britain is 'heading in the wrong direction', while Mr Osborne stated he agreed with that opinion. Mr Harper told Sky News: "They're absolutely entitled to their opinion.
"I worked closely with both of them in government and was very proud to serve with them. But that was a number of years ago. The facts have changed, the costs of the project have escalated, the patterns of travel have changed post-pandemic.
READ MORE: Their promises have been broken... we've been let down once again
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak's denials over HS2 to Manchester 'exposed by his own video'
"So this government's taken a different decision. The Prime Minister's taken a different decision that he thinks, and I think, is in the interest of the country."
The Cabinet minister said 'saving the £36bn we were due to spend' on HS2 and 'investing every penny' in alternative transport projects was 'a decision [he is] proud of'. He told BBC Breakfast the decision was partly about the cost of HS2 'but also the change in behaviour post-pandemic'.
He added: "We've seen a big drop in the number of people using the railways, about 15 to 20 per cent of passengers haven't returned … and there's been a 25 to 30pc revenue decline.
"And the business case for HS2 was heavily weighted towards business travel. Business and commuter travel is 50pc down where
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
09.10.2023 / 17:59
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
09.10.2023 / 12:53
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05.10.2023 / 11:53
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
05.10.2023 / 10:21
Ben Shephard tells Kate Garraway 'hold on' as Good Morning Britain viewers share same complaint over 'painful' interview
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
05.10.2023 / 08:53
Rishi Sunak's denials over HS2 to Manchester 'exposed by his own video'
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
04.10.2023 / 19:01
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
03.10.2023 / 20:33
'What a disgrace': Andy Burnham reacts to latest HS2 reports as north looks set to lose out
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
03.10.2023 / 16:15
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03.10.2023 / 16:15
Heckler kicked out of Suella Braverman's speech at Conservative Party Conference
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
02.10.2023 / 15:43
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02.10.2023 / 14:33
Second police force investigating claims against Russell Brand
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02.10.2023 / 08:41
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30.09.2023 / 18:31
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
30.09.2023 / 16:27
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
30.09.2023 / 08:35
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manchestereveningnews.co.uk
29.09.2023 / 12:19
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