Hull City Council will push Andy Burnham for action on the long-delayed plans
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JUNE 29: MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham, delivers a speech at The People’s Museum on June 29, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Hull City Council is to call on the new Prime Minister to put long-standing plans for the electrification of the Hull-to-Selby railway line back on the table. Andy Burnham is set to enter Number 10 next week following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer and having secured necessary support from Labour MPs and trade unions linked to the party.
After a motion put forward by Cllr Jack Haines (Liberal Democrat – Boothferry) was passed unanimously at a Full Council meeting, the authority will ask the incoming Prime Minister to make a commitment to the full electrification of the line between Hull and Selby.
The route, which covers almost 30 miles, is one of the last few key lines in northern England to have not been electrified. It is expected, if completed, the change would cut journey times from Hull to Leeds from 57 minutes to 38 along with making rail travel in the region more environmentally friendly, reliable and ensure new rolling stock can run across the network.
The council motion also calls for ministers to visit Hull and the Humber region to meet with local authorities, businesses, transport leaders and residents to discuss the economic and strategic importance of delivering the project. The Government is also being urged to include the scheme within forthcoming national infrastructure and transport investment plans with a clear timetable for delivery and funding.
Leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, will write to Mr Burnham and the Secretary of State for Transport noting the contents of the motion and seek their support for a campaign to finally secure the electrification of the route.
Cllr Ross said: “It is vitally important that the new Prime Minister listens to this call and delivers the better transport system local residents have been promised. For years, the Liberal Democrats in Hull have called on both Labour and Conservative Governments to electrify the Hull-Selby lines.
“Hull’s trains and public transport need real support from the Government, and the new Prime Minister has a chance to do that.”
Describing the long-proposed scheme as an “overdue investment for Hull”, Cllr Haines called on the new Prime Minister to make electrification “a top priority” saying the area “has been left behind”. He added: “This is an opportunity, with a new Prime Minister about to take office, to put that right. People have been waiting for a promise that has been made, remade and delayed for more than a decade.”
Proposals to electrify the route have long faced a number of political hurdles. Earlier this year, local leaders voiced their disappointment at Hull being excluded from line upgrades detailed in the Department For Transport’s Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
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It came after the Hull and East Yorkshire Devolution Deal stated that the Government “will bring Hull into Northern Powerhouse Rail, electrifying and improving the line speed between Hull to Leeds and Hull to Sheffield”. However, the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail did not include these upgrades with services to and from Hull set to “continue on existing infrastructure”.
Reacting to this, Cllr Ross accused the Government of “not holding up their side of the deal.” Similarly, the Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, Luke Campbell (Reform UK), said: “Our region has been asking for rail electrification for decades, and I’ve been making the case to the Government since being elected. We’ve waited long enough.”
At the time, the Government said Hull will benefit from the Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
Mr Burnham is set to be formally announced as the new Labour leader on Friday and enter Downing Street next week.
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