The North East Combined Authority has confirmed that plans have been approved for millions of pounds worth of investment to be put into transport improvements in the region.
As part of these plans, more than £100 million will be put into schemes to develop the bus links, as well as improving the Metro, Shields Ferry, and rail. The region’s ambitions for its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement were also approved by the Mayor and the Cabinet.
The majority of the investment confirmed will be used on bus service improvements, with £60.811 million of revenue funding and £40.468 million of capital funding will be used to deliver a wide range of transformation schemes. These include work to make fares more affordable, improvements to bus stops, and a new transport website and app that will ensure that bus services across the region can be enhanced.
A further £8.6 million will be spent on extending the Metro to Washington, alongside the re-opening of the southern section of the Leamside Line which runs from Washington to Ferryhill, County Durham.
The future of the Shields Ferry will be safeguarded thanks to £4.58 million of backing, with this also helping to deliver a new North Landing in North Shields. Whilst not being completely funded by the aforementioned investment, the additional funding will be made up by the North East’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.
The transport settlement is also being sued to direct £181 million and £346 million separately into the improvement of highways, with these both being subject to government approval at a later date.
Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, said:
“I am determined to make the North East the home of real opportunity and to do that, we must invest in our transport infrastructure so we can meet the demands of local people and connect our communities like never before.
“For too long, the region has lacked major investment needed to deliver on our transport ambitions. Under my leadership the North East will flourish. I am already working with government to make the case for further investment in our priorities so that we can get the transport projects we desperately need underway.
“Today is more than signing off investment, it is about long term investment in our communities. The package will safeguard the Shields Ferry, start the process of extending the Metro to Washington and re-opening the Leamside Line, and to make major improvements to our bus services. All of this is about investing in the future of the North East and this marks the start of an exciting period of growth.”
During the meeting that saw this investment approved, the Mayor and the Cabinet also agreed to move forward with the next step of bringing the region’s buses back under public control by preparing a Franchising Scheme Assessment.
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