INVEST East Coast Rail is calling for commitment to rail investment in tomorrow's Budget.

The cross-party group of councils, combined authorities and Scottish Regional Transport Partnerships from the area served by the East Coast Main Line has set out £11 billion of economic benefits that could be delivered through schemes along the East Coast Main Line.

Members want the Government to invest in improving the resilience of the existing rail network alongside support for new track in the Budget and the forthcoming Integrated Rail Plan.

Constraints on the existing line make it vulnerable to disruption with 12 major incidents in 2018 costing the economy £46 million.

York council leader and group chair Cllr Keith Aspden said: “As we emerge from the pandemic, attracting people back to public transport will be critical to getting the economy moving and ensuring we have a resilient rail network will be critical in building that confidence.

“The East Coast Main Line is a critical piece of national infrastructure connecting communities and businesses along 500 miles from London to the North of Scotland and I hope this is reflected in the Budget and the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, who represents the authority on Invest East Coast Rail, said: “The East Coast Mainline provides an essential transport link for North Yorkshire residents and businesses and the rail line certainly merits further investment, particularly to address capacity constraints.”