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Regions welcome Government high speed rail plans

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the North of England have welcomed Government plans for the second phase of a £33bn high speed rail network (HS2).

On Monday, David Cameron announced new routes that will link areas in the North West, Midlands and Yorkshire to a super-fast rail network, as well as plans to build new stations in the Northern regions.

A 211-mile network will be built in the North, in addition to the first phase of infrastructure development which will see a 140-mile high speed track built between London and Birmingham.

The Prime Minister was joined by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and the Chancellor, George Osborne, as well as Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, as they pledged to create more jobs and underpin “future prosperity” with HS2 proposals.

Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP said it has been “unwavering” in its support for government high speed rail plans, which it said is one of the most important steps to improve job opportunities, connectivity and economic growth.

Andy Street, chair of GBSLEP, commented: “Our current local rail capacity challenges will be improved significantly by HS2, enabling us to seek a package of measures to improve access around the metropolitan area.

“Perhaps above all, HS2 presents the opportunity to create a new industry in Greater Birmingham as we would expect to use our strength as an advanced manufacturing centre to attract the jobs associated with this project to our region.”

Mr Street’s comments were echoed by Leeds City Region’s LEP chair, Neil McLean, who said: “HS2 will bring real benefits to all our cities by freeing capacity on the existing local rail network and improving connections to the capital and European markets, which in turn will shape business investment decisions and enhance our competitiveness on the world stage.”

Mr McLean did warn of the support necessary to uphold HS2 advancements: “In order to ensure that this investment makes a real difference to our economy, it needs to be supported by rail and road enhancements that will aim to improve connectivity between our cities and towns and we need it delivering as a priority.”

Construction on the London to Birmingham route will begin in 2017, and will be open to passengers in 13 years, while the Northern route will open in 19 years.

The Government said a total of 100,000 jobs will be created in construction, maintenance and commerce around new “hub” stations, which will be built in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and the East Midlands.

James Newman, chair of Sheffield City Region LEP, commented: “This decision recognises the strategic economic importance of the Sheffield City Region to future UK growth plans

“The LEP looks forward to working with Government to ensure that the final station location decision will maximise economic benefits to the Sheffield City Region.”

Journey times will be significantly improved, according to the Government announcement on Monday, which said a trip from Manchester city centre to London Euston will take an hour and eight minutes, while a journey between Leeds and Birmingham will be reduced by an hour to 57 minutes.

HS2 stations at Leeds, Sheffield, East Midlands and Birmingham will each be separated by journey times of under 20 minutes, and a trip between Manchester and Birmingham will take 41 minutes.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Cameron, PM, said: “Linking communities and businesses across the country and shrinking the distances between our greatest cities, high speed rail is an engine for growth that will help to drive regional regeneration and invigorate our regional economies. It is vital that we get on board the high-speed revolution.

Adding to his comments, Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary, said: “This is an unparalleled opportunity to secure a step-change in Britain’s competitiveness and this government will do everything possible to ensure that the towns and cities in the Midlands and the north get the connections they need and deserve to thrive.

“It is about an investment in infrastructure that will deliver a priceless dividend: 351 miles of new railways helping people to jobs and goods to market.”

Although prices have not been confirmed, the Government said HS2 ticket costs will be set to allow everyone access to the rail network.

Mr McLoughlin continued: “HS2 will be woven into the transport fabric of the nation, accessible to all, and I believe these proposed routes offer a great starting point for the process of engagement to follow.

“As with previous consultations, we will work closely with communities and interested parties to find the right balance between delivering the essential infrastructure that we need and respecting the rights and justifiable concerns of those who will be most affected by HS2’s construction.”

A consultation on route plans has been brought forward from 2014 to 2013, and the Government has said it will work with MPs, local authorities and delivery partners for the proposed new stations to refine HS2 plans.

Rail routes will be finalised by the end of next year, and the Department for Transport will carry out a study alongside Transport Scotland to investigate connectivity between England and Scotland.

This study could potentially cut travel times to under three hours and help boost capacity on trains between England and Scotland.

The Institute of Directors’ Corin Taylor, Senior Economic Adviser, said: “Air and rail needs to be much better connected, and so it is very welcome to see the Y-network serving Manchester airport directly.

“But by the same token it is disappointing to see a direct connection to Heathrow left out altogether. If the Davies Commission recommends that Heathrow should remain the UK’s main hub airport, then the first section of HS2 ought to run through Heathrow, not around it.”

David Cameron concluded: “We are in a global race and this government’s decision to make high speed rail a reality is another example of the action we taking to equip Britain to compete and thrive in that race.

“High speed rail is a catalyst that will help to secure economic prosperity across Britain, rebalance our economy and support tens of thousands of jobs.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .