RAIL ELECTRIFICATION TO HULL

That this House urges the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Transport to support First Hull Trains' proposals to electrify 70 miles of track between Hull and Selby; notes that under current plans, Network Rail intends only to electrify east-west rail services as far as Selby as part of a £9.4 billion package of rail infrastructure funding announced in 2012; further notes that First Hull Trains has submitted a business plan for a private finance deal to fund the £94 million project to install 70 miles of electrified overhead line equipment to cover tracks both ways from Hull to Temple Hirst junction; believes electrification is necessary to assist the millions of visitors who will be coming to Hull in 2017 when the city takes on the City of Culture title; understands that electrification will create jobs and growth and will provide a link between the city and the High Speed 2 network; acknowledges that electrification will also reduce journey times and provide opportunities for more direct services to London and other northern cities; calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Transport to approve electrification on railway lines in and out of the city to support its economic regeneration and help bring the region's transport links into the 21st century; and congratulates the Hull Daily Mail on its Hook up Hull campaign which is championing the issue on behalf of its readers.