'Get on with rail improvements from Sheffield to Manchester,' urges Sheffield City Region mayor

The mayor was speaking on a report published by Transport for the North, which calls for large-scale transport investment along with smaller local and regional improvements.

Mr Jarvis highlighted improvements between Sheffield and Manchester – the 40-mile journey on the Hope Valley line can take up to 55 minutes on a TransPennine Express service.

Planned work on the route includes a passing loop, to allow passenger trains to pass slow-moving freight services, reducing journey times.

However, the improvements are now not expected until 2023, when they should already be finished.

Mr Jarvis wrote to rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris in October, expressing his frustration at the delays.

He said: “This submission highlights the need for large-scale transport investment across the North, but also emphasises the need for crucial local and regional improvements.

“In South Yorkshire, we have a number of shovel-ready projects which will help spur economic recovery.

“The Hope Valley Line provides the only Trans-Pennine rail link between South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

“Passengers travelling between Sheffield and Manchester have been forced to endure delays, cancellations and unreliable services for far too long. In the 21st Century, it should not take between 50 and 55 minutes to travel 40 miles between Sheffield and Manchester.

“If the government is truly committed to ‘levelling up’ the country, they need to bring real pace and urgency to the Hope Valley line upgrade works.”