North Lincolnshire Council to spend HS2 cash on improving bus networks

A council says it will use its share of savings from the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 to reduce bus fares and make services more reliable.

North Lincolnshire Council said its residents would benefit to the tune of almost £1m.

The money will help communities such as Ashby, Brigg, Barton and Scunthorpe become "better connected", they said.

Councillor Tim Mitchell said: "We'll be using it to improve services, to make them cheaper and more reliable."

Mr Mitchell, the Conservative-controlled authority's cabinet member for connectivity, added the money would "go a long way to securing a brighter future for passengers".

Council leader Rob Waltham said public transport was essential for keeping families and communities connected.

"I welcome the government making the long-term decision to reinvest every penny of savings from HS2 into local transport," he added.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed plans for a high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester had been cancelled.

At the time, he said the project was born of a "false consensus" that linking big cities was "all that matters", and that he would instead invest in transport projects across the North of England.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper claimed the government was investing "record high levels of funding" into bus transport.

He said: "This increase in funding to deliver more reliable, frequent and affordable local bus services and to extend the £2 bus fare cap has only been possible with the redirected HS2 funding secured by this government making the right long-term decisions for a brighter future."

The £2 bus fare cap has been extended across England until 31 December 2024.

Meanwhile, North Lincolnshire Council said digital bus timetable screens have been installed across Scunthorpe.

The screens, costing a total of £40,000, offer passengers real-time travel information and had been installed at Scunthorpe bus station, Scunthorpe General Hospital and Broadway in Ashby, it said.

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