22.07.16
Midlands Rail Hub needed to deliver 10 extra services an hour
Rail connections in the Midlands will need funding to meet growing pressures on capacity, a new report has said.
Midlands Connect, a group of 28 local authorities and 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships, has published the interim report of a £5m government-funded project to explore how to improve transport in the region.
It says that increased rail franchises and faster journey times in the region are the only way to avoid overcrowding on services by 2023.
The report also says that growth sites around HS2 stations will need to be integrated with the classic rail network to allow economic growth.
A survey by Midlands Connect found that a quarter of professional organisations in the region said they would be ‘likely’ or ‘highly likely’ to move locations if transport connections are not improved.
It says that a Midlands Rail Hub with an additional 10 services an hour is needed, which could potentially deliver £200m in economic growth a year and create 250,000 new jobs.
The report’s authors say there is “a compelling case to provide development funding” for the increased capacity options and that HS2 could potentially share development and even possession of the hub.
They say they will confirm where the 10 additional services should connect in their final report.
However, they note that they “recognise the lessons from the Hendy Review and the need to define early on a much tighter scope, funding envelope and outcomes” and the next stage of work will involve assessing whether increased value for money could be achieved through reduced spending and phasing of implementation.
In a speech at Derby Council Chambers yesterday, Chris Grayling, the new transport secretary, also welcomed the report’s support for HS2, repeating his commitment that he had “no plans to back away from” the high speed rail line.
However, both Balfour Beatty and the head of the National Audit Office have warned this week that the project could suffer because of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
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