WARRINGTON South MP Sarah Hall has called for greater investment in transport infrastructure in the North West, warning that towns like Warrington risk being left behind due to years of underfunding and delayed projects.
Speaking in a parliamentary debate on transport connectivity, she highlighted the critical need for improved road and rail links, calling on the government to address the North-South divide.
In the debate, the MP for Warrington South pointed to figures that show London receives £1,313 per person in public transport investment, compared to just £729 per person in the North West, a stark £584 disparity. She stressed that Northern communities like Warrington cannot continue to be an afterthought in national transport planning.
Citing a Transport for the North report, she noted that one-fifth of people in the region are effectively cut off from jobs, education, and opportunities due to poor connectivity and mobility.
The MP expressed concern over uncertainty and slimmed down key transport schemes including Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 and the Western Link congestion relief road.
Ms Hall said: “Constituencies like mine have long faced the challenges of poor connectivity.
“Warrington South is strategically located between Manchester and Liverpool, yet our transport infrastructure has failed to keep pace with our town’s rapid growth.
“It is critical to understand how poor connectivity is constraining growth, limiting our potential and leaving us behind.
“Investment in transport infrastructure can be transformational. It can act as a catalyst for growth.
“It must be a coordinated effort, better linking our communities and recognising the contribution that our towns and villages make to the wider economy.
“We cannot allow the transport challenges of the past to restrict our potential in the future.
“With the right investment in the right places we have the opportunity grow the national economy and to grow our local economy”.
