Exclusive:Country 'failed for decades' to fix broken road between Sheffield and Manchester, Andy Burnham says
“It cannot be right that the Woodhead Pass and the Snake Pass are managed as just local roads that are crumbling”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described the current transport links between Sheffield and Manchester as “ridiculous” while promising action on inter-city travel.
While meeting members of the public at Meadow Family Centre, on Shirecliffe Road, the new Prime Minister spoke exclusively with The Star about the issue of travel over the Pennines.
Since 2021, there have been no trains running between Sheffield and Manchester Airport, while the only road routes between are the Snake and Woodhead Pass which continue to face infrastructure issues.
Speaking in Sheffield, the PM said the problem “needs to be addressed.”
“I came from home in the northwest this morning, so you don't need to persuade me. We feel it as much as you do on your side,” he added.
“It's something the country has failed to address over decades.
“Manchester and Sheffield have a lot of complimentary industry, there's lots of ties between the two cities and it's ridiculous actually that we have a couple of winding roads and a creaky rail service.
“It's got to be better than that.”
Before taking over as Prime Minister on Monday, July 20, Burnham served as Mayor of Greater Manchester where he focused on improving transport in the city by introducing the publicly-owned Bee Network that covers bus, tram and cycling services.
He has spoken strongly about giving local authorities more power and money to tackle the issues affecting them, and has now announced plans that will see metro mayors retain a portion of income tax and business rates generated in their region.
However, routes to Manchester cross three counties - South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester - requiring a co-ordinated effort to address.
After opening Number 10 North in Manchester, more Government operations are expected to move into the city - which will require Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey and First Secretary of State Louise Haigh to make the trip over from their constituencies in South Yorkshire.
Meanwhile reindustrialisation efforts through new funding with Forgemasters could face a bottleneck due to restricted travel options.
“If you're serious about growth, you've got to get the connectivity right between the big cities - certainly it's at quite high on my list of priorities,” the PM added.
“I think we need much better rail infrastructure as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, but I also think we need a better road solution.
“It cannot be right that the Woodhead Pass and the Snake Pass are managed as just local roads that are crumbling and not available for large parts of the year, we need to do better that.
“All of those issues are in scope. I'll work with the local authorities concerned, but Manchester-Sheffield connectivity needs to be much better than it is.”