15.11.13
East Midlands leaders meet with HS2 Growth Taskforce
The HS2 Growth Taskforce is meeting with key players in the East Midlands to discuss opportunities to maximise growth and development from the project.
A new hub station at Toton would allow good connections to Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, with the journey time between London and the hub 51 minutes. Improved connectivity would make commuting easier and boost growth in the area, while up to 1,600 jobs will be created as a result of station supported employment.
Commercial secretary to the Treasury and chair of the HS2 Growth Taskforce Lord Deighton said: “HS2 will give a massive boost to the East Midlands, creating new employment and business opportunities, freeing up capacity on the railways and improving connections to the West Midlands, north and south. But growth and regeneration will not just be handed on a plate and it is vital that the East Midlands does everything possible to harness the huge potential that the new north-south line offers.
“The Growth Taskforce is determined to see the benefits of HS2 stretch far and wide, with an estimated 70% of jobs expected to be outside London. That is why getting out and meeting with city and business leaders is so vital. By planning ahead and thinking big, the East Midlands could start to benefit long before the first HS2 train arrives.”
Chair of East Midlands Councils Cllr Jon Collins said: “HS2 has potential to boost our local economies through improving connectivity to London, Birmingham and the northern core cities, freeing up capacity on existing rail lines for more services, and creating jobs in our highly competitive transport engineering sector. However, we have to get it right. We are keen to work with Lord Deighton and others in Government to ensure businesses and communities across the East Midlands can benefit from this investment.”
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Image c. HS2 Ltd