YOUR item on this week's Northern Transport Summit held in Leeds was interesting in the way it contrasted Bolton West MP Chris Green's realistic assessment of how the Northern Powerhouse and its associated rail network is developing with the political grandstanding of Mayor Andy Burnham.

While it is a good thing that the North's politicians and businesses are working together (through the existing Manchester-based Transport for the North organisation), Mr Burnham seems to have appointed himself as "King of the North".

But unfortunately he is a king without any clothes with his abysmal record as a senior member of the last Labour government which failed miserably to invest in the North's rail infrastructure over its 13 years in office.

Individually, as MP for Leigh and despite promises to the contrary, he failed to get his constituency a rail station!

Trying to discredit those who are investing heavily in the local rail network (the Conservative government) isn't acceptable, especially with also failing to acknowledge what has and is being achieved on investing in rail electrification and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the electrification of the Manchester-Bolton-Preston line continues.

Derek Bullock

Leigh Road

Westhoughton