North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has announced a £1.85bn deal with the Government that will fund local authority road and public transport projects across the North East.
The investment was gained after the mayor raised it with Chancellor Rachel Reeves. She later hailed the deal agreed with Treasury as ‘game changing' for her goal to deliver what she referred to as the ‘Angel Network' - a fully integrated sustainable transport network to drive the economy and encourage and support the construction of new homes.
The £1.85bn announced will fund local authority road and public transport projects right across the North East, including highways maintenance, the roll out of safe and high-quality walking and cycling routes, hundreds of new EV charging points and new bus priority measures to make journey times more reliable.
The funding will also be used for the creation of the Angel Network, a ‘fully integrated sustainable public transport network' that will feature contactless travel across bus, Metro and rail and improvements to safety and accessibility where people wait such as bus stops, stations and large interchanges.
The funding has been agreed as the latest phase of the region's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2). It will cover the five-year period from 2027 to 2032. The agreement is entirely new money and will form part of the North East Combined Authority's "Integrated Settlement", a funding stream that will cover investment in transport, housing investment and economic growth.
Mayor McGuinness said: ‘This is a game-changing moment for the people of our region, who can look forward to a truly world-class integrated public transport network, safer walking and cycling routes throughout our towns and cities, better local roads and a massive acceleration on our journey to an EV future.
‘This funding means that we can create the Angel Network with buses under public control, more electric buses running on time along priority corridors, and contactless smart travel whether you are on a bus a Metro or a train.
‘We will improve accessibility and safety for women and girls through upgrades to railway stations, interchanges and bus stops, make walking and cycling routes attractive and build the best electric vehicle charging network in the country.'
