AN £8.7 billion wishlist to give the North East a “world-class” transport system has won the approval of the region’s leaders, despite questions over whether it can be turned into a reality.

The North East Combined Authority (NECA) hopes to radically upgrade travel infrastructure across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham by 2040.

Transport chiefs’ huge proposals include opening new Metro stations and railway lines, bringing bus services under public control, delivering major road upgrades like the dualling of the A1 in Northumberland, and significant improvements to walking and cycling networks.

NECA’s cabinet agreed on Tuesday (September 17) to the launch of a public consultation on the plans this autumn, before a final version of the new Local Transport Plan is published early next year.

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North East mayor Kim McGuinness told a meeting at North Tyneside Council’s headquarters that achieving the vision, which also includes expanded electric vehicle facilities and improved safety measures on public transport, would give the region a “world-class transport network” and that the plans were “unapologetically” ambitious.

Concerns have already been aired about whether the mayor can deliver on expensive projects like the reopening of the mothballed Leamside railway line.

The vast scale of the £8.66 billion proposals means that the biggest of the 327 different schemes listed would be beyond the financial capabilities of NECA, despite the new mayor’s transport funding and powers, and would need significant backing from either the Government or the private sector.

Ms McGuinness added: “It is an ambitious plan and that is what we are, we are very ambitious for the region. Critics of this plan might say that it will be difficult to deliver. But we have to get out there and state our intention to have this world-class transport network that the people of our region deserve.”

Kevin Dickinson, of the Sort Out the Metro campaign group, is among those to have questioned regional leaders’ ability to deliver on the proposals’ huge promise.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I worry that councillors and the mayor are out of touch with the daily issues faced by travellers, but welcome the consultation and hope it will be thorough and passengers are listened to.

“The mayor said that delivery of the strategy would be difficult and I’m glad that is recognised. I hope performance measures are put in place for projects to ensure they deliver the benefits in the strategy.”

Also included within the transport plan is the building of a new ferry landing at the North Shields Fish Quay, the Blyth relief road, and giving free travel on public transport to under-18s.

The sprawling document sets out cost estimates for the schemes as well as delivery timescales – split into those that will be ready by 2027, by 2032, and by 2040.

Gateshead Council leader and deputy North East mayor Martin Gannon said he wanted the region to have the “greenest transport system in the country”, but admitted that there are “a number of long-term projects where we will need to secure a funding strategy to deliver those really ambitious plans”.
 
Among the 327 transport upgrades listed are:
 
Up to 2027 

  • A package of safety, security and accessibility measures on public transport networks, making transport safer for women, girls and other vulnerable groups; 
  • Improved security gatelines at Metro stations;
  • Delivery of a regional bike hire programme and storage hubs around the North East;
  • Relocation of the Shields Ferry landing on the north bank of the Tyne to the Fish Quay;
  • Starting the delivery of the “largest electric vehicle charging network in the country”;
  • Delivery of a relief road for Blyth;
  • A relief road near Bowburn to reduce pressure on junction 61 of the A1; 
  • ‘Tap on tap off’ contactless payments for the Tyne and Wear Metro by 2027 and a single-ticket system working across all forms of public transport;
  • Possible free travel for under-18s and care leavers. 

 
2028 to 2032 

  • A remodelling of Heworth Interchange, Gateshead Interchange, Four Lane Ends, Monument Metro station, and Newcastle Airport station;
  • Reforming the bus system to take public control over services;
  • A new signalling system for Tyne and Wear Metro;
  • Extending the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington in 2032;
  • Reopening Ferryhill Station in 2030, with passenger trains to Teesside;
  • Dualling the A1 from Morpeth to Ellingham by 2030; 
  • A “fully joined-up and region-wide active travel network” to boost walking, wheeling and cycling.

 
2033 to 2040

  • A19 junction improvements and capacity upgrades in North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland and County Durham;
  • A69 route improvements, including potential dualling west of Hexham;
  • Increasing the number of tracks and trains calling at Sunderland Station;
  • A new train station to serve Gateshead town centre;
  • Opening new Metro stations;
  • A moveable or opening bridge at the lower level of the River Wear;
  • Completion of the dualling of the A1 from Ellingham into Scotland;
  • Exploring a new ferry landing at Royal Quays;
  • Reopening the Leamside Line, improving East Coast Mainline capacity and creating Tyne to Tees and Sunderland to Durham rail connections.