Boris Johnson accused of diluting Northern Powerhouse Rail plans at centre of ‘levelling up’ agenda

Boris Johnson's government has been accused of watering down proposals to upgrade train services in the North of England and the Midlands viewed as key to "levelling up" the country outside London.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, is expected to set out the integrated rail plan later this week, which will include proposals for the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme.

The Independent revealed last month that the NPR plans were to be scaled back as the Treasury tightened its purse strings, with local transport chiefs warning that Liverpool, Manchester, West Yorkshire and the North East could miss out on improvements.

As the announcement looms, a report said the government would scale back ambitions by pursuing track upgrades rather than building a new line.

Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, told the i newspaper: "This is Boris pulling the whole damn rug from under our feet and ripping up the floor behind him!”

Mr Johnson pledged his “commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail” shortly after entering Downing Street in 2019.

And as recently as the Conservative Party conference in Manchester last month, Mr Johnson said in his speech that the government “will do Northern Powerhouse Rail, we will link up the cities of the Midlands and the north.”

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton in North Yorkshire, said the trimmed-back plans indicated the party was “not willing to put our money where our mouth is.”

“If we lose key elements alongside losing the final phase of HS2 we are missing the point here,” he said.

Jim McMahon, Labour's shadow transport secretary, said: “It’s laughable that the government expects people in the north to be grateful for some half-baked and repackaged plans, as they attempt to quietly back out of promises made on the vital major infrastructure projects those communities need so badly.

“Failure to deliver on HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail – schemes ministers have committed to dozens of times – is not only insulting, it is actively holding back investment and opportunity that could benefit millions of people.”

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “Work is continuing on the integrated rail plan. We will publish it shortly and do not comment on speculation.”

The government is also expected to rule out Bradford’s inclusion on the direct route of Northern Powerhouse Rail on cost grounds, despite the city having a population of more than half a million people and being situated between Manchester and Leeds.

And Liverpool, too, was expected to be let down on its demands for a short 20-mile section of high-speed line linking the city to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

In the northeast, the Treasury is understood to have resisted demands for improving the Leamside line, an old freight route that planners want to use to run more passenger trains per hour on the mainline.