The scrapped Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2 will provide a £150 million boost to bus services in various regions of England, according to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
The decision to cancel the northern leg of the high-speed rail project was made earlier this month, with the funds being redirected towards smaller transport initiatives. This funding for bus services in the Midlands and northern England is part of a £1 billion investment in support of bus services.
The largest allocation of over £16.6 million will go to the West Midlands Combined Authority, while Greater Manchester will receive £16.3 million and West Yorkshire almost £13.4 million. This allocation is the first part of the £1 billion investment designated for bus services in the North and Midlands under the government's "Network North" plan.
This funding will empower local authorities and bus operators to determine how it is used, which could involve reintroducing evening services, enhancing bus frequency on busy routes, or introducing new services to connect different areas. The goal is to support up to 25 million miles of new bus services across the North and Midlands.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper explained on BBC Radio 4's Today program that these transport projects would benefit people more quickly than the second phase of HS2, which was canceled due to increasing costs and reduced benefits.
However, some campaigners, such as Matthew Topham from Better Buses for South Yorkshire, believe that the funding does not adequately address the decades-long decline in bus services. They argue that public control of bus services is needed to ensure public investment benefits the community.
Conservative Mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, sees the funding as positive for bus services but still emphasizes the need to improve the high-speed link between Birmingham and Manchester. He stated that the money not spent on HS2 is being redirected for other purposes.
The government also extended the £2 cap on bus fares until the end of 2024, which benefits most bus services outside London. Community services for older individuals and vulnerable passengers will receive a 60% increase in fuel cost support to help maintain affordability. Photo by Chris McAndrew, Wikimedia commons.