It has been a fantastic few weeks for BAE Systems and its employees at Warton. Earlier this month the company announced that next year will see a record-breaking intake of 2,700 graduates and apprentices join the company, including over 500 in the air division here in Lancashire.
Hot on the heels of this news came the announcement of a treaty with Japan and Italy that will see the Global Combat Air Programme (known as GCAP or Team Tempest), located in the UK. This is simply fantastic news, bringing a project worth billions of pounds to Fylde, creating jobs for the next generation and proving definitively that career opportunities are not limited to our large cities.
With the aim to see the new supersonic stealth jet, Tempest, in the skies by 2035 there are real opportunities for those joining the company to become highly skilled in working with the most advanced technologies out there. I am always impressed by the knowledge and passion of those working at Warton, as well as the diverse range of backgrounds they come from.
This week has also seen the start of a phased opening of the new A585 Singleton Bypass, the second of three Fylde major highways projects to open to traffic and part of nearly £400 investment in our road infrastructure. I am delighted to see the road open and addressing the congestion issues that have long dogged Mains Lane and other areas around Singleton. I also visited the third of these major projects, the M55 Link Road, for an update on construction ahead of its opening early next year.
Nevertheless, the issues seen on the South Fylde Line this weekend serve as a reminder that, when it comes to levelling up our transport infrastructure, the job is far from done. Initial disruption worsened over the weekend, with two-thirds of services cancelled on Saturday and every service cancelled on Sunday. To pin these, as Northern have attempted to do, on “temporary timetable changes” simply does not wash.
These cancellations will have ruined days out to celebrate the festive season with friends and family and underscores the need for investment in the line, with a passing loop the most efficient way of increasing capacity and resilience on the line.
I have written to the Chief Executive Northern and the Rail Minister to highlight this situation and demand action. Only through major investment will we see people’s confidence in the trains restored and local passenger numbers rise.
It has been a challenging year, with news from around the world so often bleak. Nevertheless, it has been a positive year overall and, on many fronts, there is reason for optimism looking ahead to next year. With the Christmas break now almost upon us, a time to spend time with loved ones, it is a reminder of how fortunate we are.
I want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.