TRANSPORT Secretary Chris Grayling has held back from a firm commitment to funding key road improvements around York.

Chris Graying was in York yesterday morning, on a visit to Siemens’ rail depot on Leeman Road.

Speaking at the station after the visit, he said legislative moves started earlier this week to give Transport for the North statutory powers would be transformative for the region.

“The announcement means we have now cemented properly the voice of the North, in a partnership with national government delivering better transport across the whole of the North of the country.

“In its own right, that’s not what makes the difference. What makes the difference is the things that flow from it and the projects we are working on together.”

Things like the transformation of the Northern Rail franchise and the replacement or refurbishment of every single train have been shaped through a partnership between Transport for the North, Rail North and national government, he added.

“We are working together to deliver a much better service for people in the North.”

The minister disputed claims the northern body will not have the same powers as Transport for London, saying northern bodies already have power over things like buses, metros and local rail networks meaning Transport for the North can act as a “coordinating body” for all these existing powers.

In the summer Mr Grayling caused anger by suggesting that the Transpennine rail route may not be entirely electrified - but could instead rely on “bi-modal” trains running on both electric and diesel.

Yesterday he said he expected to see Network Rail’s firm proposals for the route in the next month - but added that people should not focus on the technology.

“What’s important to me is what the passenger experience is. I want more trains, faster journey times, longer trains, more seats, and that’s what the transpennine upgrade is all about.

“I don’t want people to get hung up on the technology, I want people to actually worry about what the service is going to be and it’s going to be much better. It’s a multi-billion pound programme. Something like a third of the money available for rail upgrades is going to be spent on the transpennine route in the coming years.”

Mr Grayling also said he was “as keen as everyone else” to see old Pacer trains - one of which he boarded to leave York at the end of his visit - replaced and consigned to either a scrap yard or a rail museum.

On a pre-election visit to York in May, Mr Grayling said the Government was committed to dualling the A64 east of York, and that while the ring road improvements were further off, his party would give them financial support in the next Parliament.

Yesterday, he said he could not give specific timings for the two projects as announcements have not yet been made on the next investment period.

The minister added: “I am well aware that for York the A64 is something that can’t wait forever to get done.”

He also said the Government was putting money into a major roads network fund – a “bypass fund” - to back bypasses around important centres.