AN open letter was written to Hexham's MP calling for cancelled HS2 funds to be allocated to the rural bus network.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Labour's candidate for North East mayor, Kim McGuinness, and Labour's parliamentary candidate for the Hexham constituency, Joe Morris, published an open letter to Guy Opperman calling for 'Network North' money to be used for rural bus services. 

The letter said: "As a Minister in the Department for Transport and MP for Hexham, you will be aware of the news on December 21 that £235m of funds initially intended to finance a high-speed rail for the North are instead being used to fix potholes in London. It's yet more evidence of the North being disregarded by Government, as money earmarked to improve our transport links and regional economy is now being spent in the capital.

"We are sure that as a Northumberland MP, you will share our concerns that this represents both a financial blow to the transport needs of the north and further compounds the impact of the Government’s decision to cancel HS2."

The letter said a new high-speed railway to the north would have eased congestion on services from the North East to London and across the UK.

"As you will know, the Government decided to scrap this scheme, but promised to fund “Network North”.

"Since that announcement, projects have been scaled back or axed, and people across the North East and elsewhere have been left wondering just where the investment went. It would seem people in the capital have greater clarity here.

"Northumberland and the North East need substantial transport investment. The bus network in rural areas has been cut back, the promise to open a new railway through Durham, the Leamside Line, lasted less than 24 hours and in South East Northumberland it has now emerged that the Newcastle to Blyth railway line may have to reopen without some of the promised train stations as delays mount and costs rise.

"We are writing to request what allocation of the cancelled HS2 money will go directly towards the rural bus network, the reopening of the South East Northumberland line, the Metro expansion and the reopening of Durham’s Leamside Line," the letter added.