infrastructure

High Speed Rail Group back government’s decision to “level up” Britain

No major project has ever been subjected to as much scrutiny as HS2, and this is right and proper given the public money being spent. But having had leading experts analyse HS2 for the last six months, the Government has rightly concluded that going ahead with the project is essential for their vision of ‘levelling up’ Britain and delivering a transformation of regional economies across the country.

With the decision taken, the industry’s focus must now be on delivering every penny of that public investment as efficiently as possible and wringing every benefit from the project. Now the debate on whether to build HS2 has been resolved, we can focus on (more…)

By Deborah, ago

HS2 North West Voices

Our report HS2 North West Voices brings together a range of influential voices in the North West, outlining the “transformational benefits” HS2 – delivered “all the way” to Glasgow – will bring to the North West economy. Two of the region’s leading Conservative and Labour MPs back the report and say HS2 will ensure the country is “firing on all cylinders”

John Stevenson MP (Conservative, Carlisle) and Lucy Powell MP (Labour, Manchester Central) say:

“HS2 is vital to fundamentally addressing the North-South divide.  With inequalities of prosperity and opportunity between the North and the South, connecting London all the way to Glasgow will ensure that every part of our country is firing on all cylinders.  HS2 will turn great cities, like Manchester and Carlisle, into inter-connected economic powerhouses, helping us to excel into the 2020s and beyond, and it will tackle the division between North and South, bringing Britain together with the first new North-South railway in a hundred years.”

You can access the full report here: HSR Industry Leaders HS2 North West Voices Report Nov 2019

The report outlines how HS2 will “turbo charge the wider Northern economy (more…)

By Deborah, ago

HSRIL respond to GLA report

It is our view that the GLA Conservative’s report ‘High Speed Fail: An Alternative Plan to HS2’ contains a series of flawed arguments. It perpetuates the false choice of pitting HS2 against other major projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and Crossrail 2. The choice that has been presented Read more…

By Deborah, ago

Midlands rail revolution takes a leap forward with the launch of Midlands Engine Rail

High Speed Rail Industry Leaders welcomes the launch of Midlands Engine Rail – a £3.5 billion improvement programme to transform the region’s rail network – by Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect. The programme emphasises the essential importance of HS2 to the future of the transport network in the region, acknowledging HS2 as the backbone of the Midlands’ future plans for east-west and north-south rail passenger and freight connectivity across the region and beyond.

Made up of seven projects spanning the East and West Midlands, the programme is strategically-important in supercharging the Midlands Engine economy and is designed to drive sustainability, productivity and social mobility across the whole region. It also includes and builds upon the flagship Midlands Rail Hub scheme; aimed at boosting east-west connectivity, which was submitted to Government in June 2019. (more…)

By Deborah, ago