More rail electrification was given the Government’s backing yesterday in its autumn financial statement.
It is backing Network Rail’s £290 million project to electrify the Manchester-Leeds line over the Pennines via Stalybridge, Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
It has earmarked £20 million to support the scheme in the years between 2014 and 2015.
One of the scheme’s many advantages is that it should free up diesel trains to provide better rail services on non-electrified lines elsewhere.
Work is already under way on the £300 million project to electrify the lines between Manchester, Wigan, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool by 2016.
Railfuture chairman Mike Crowhurst said: "While it is very welcome, it is imperative that it does not stop at Leeds. To make sense, it must continue to York and include the branches to Hull, Middlesbrough and Scarborough.
"It would be nonsense to force passengers to change from electric to diesel trains at Leeds, or to run diesel trains under the wires.
"Manchester seems to be emerging as the hub of an increasing web of electrification. The trans Pennine route will become a major electric link between the east and west coast main lines, increasing connectivity of the electric network.
"Electrification means that passengers will enjoy quicker and more reliable services.
"Electric trains are also cheaper to buy and cheaper to run, as well as polluting less, so the is why we have been campaigning for them for so long.
"We have still got a long way to go to catch up with other European countries, and we want to see a rolling programme of electrification which will include the Midland main line from Bedford to Sheffield."
Susan Williams, campaign director at the North West Rail Campaign, said: “Expanding electrification will bring down the long-term cost of running the railways as well as improving journeys between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.”
Councillor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "This is fantastic news which will bring tens of thousands of jobs and much-welcome reductions in journey times between our two great northern industrial and economic powerhouse cities."
Footnote: Since the original announcement, the Government has now agreed that electrification will go beyond Leeds to York.