Hartlepool rail passengers deserve more after having to 'put up with slow and irregular services' for too long

Mr Hill says it is hard to see how the new high speed railway linking London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds will directly benefit Hartlepool or the North East.

And he said other planned investment through the Northern Powerhouse is focused on the East Main Line which does not take in the town.

Mr Hill said HS2's ambition to close the gap between the North and London was long overdue, but added: “To be perfectly frank HS2 in its first stage starts at London and ends in Birmingham.

“The second phase ends at Manchester and Leeds, which will be achieved between 2035 and 2040 according to the Secretary of State for Transport.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently gave the go-ahead to the project despite spiralling costs and strong protests from residents in areas where new line will go through.

Mr Hill added: “Government pledges to simultaneously make improvements to rail in the North via the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme (conveniently dubbed HS3) are also fixated on improving the East Coast Mainline and modernising Darlington station, with only feasibility monies applying to the important Durham coastal route, despite the fact that Hartlepool is the busiest single platform station in the country; that simply is unfair.

“Hartlepool commuters have for far too long put up with slow and irregular services and standards simply need to improve. If we have the highest usage of the railways on a single platform station in the country what does that say?

“Clearly it means there is a higher than average demand here than anywhere else in the UK where there is similar rail infrastructure.

“In my opinion, whether it’s to increase passenger traffic on the line, to cope with the ever increasing freight services or to extend the Metro downwards from Sunderland to create a Teesside Metro, the Durham coast line needs to be given the attention it’s due and we must start by getting agreement to open up that second platform at Hartlepool train station and increase capacity.”