04.08.14
Liverpool launches campaign to bring HS2 to the city
A united campaign has been launched in an attempt to bring high speed rail to the Liverpool City Region.
The High Speed Rail – Linking Liverpool campaign claims that by changing the current route plans for HS2, which bypass the region, there could be an £8.3bn boost to the local economy and the opportunity to create up to 14,000 new jobs.
Cllr Phil Davies, chair of the Combined Authority of councils across the city region and Merseyside, said: “Delivering full high speed rail connectivity into Liverpool city centre is vital not just for the city itself but for the whole City Region and beyond.
“This City Region-wide campaign builds on the excellent work already being undertaken by Liverpool City Council, Merseytravel and the business-led 20 Miles More campaign, adding to the united voices making the case for linking Liverpool to full high speed rail.”
The current route for the western leg of HS2 phase two starts from the London to West Midlands section near Lichfield, heads north west past Stafford, to Crewe, crosses the M6 and then the M56, and heads up past Warrington. There are connections to the West Coast Main Line south of Crewe and south of Wigan, with the Manchester stations served by a spur running roughly parallel with the M56 towards Manchester Airport. HS2 chairman David Higgins has argued in his HS2 Plus report for a new hub at Crewe by 2027, and better east-west connectivity.
However, the Liverpool campaigners argue that better, faster connectivity to Liverpool through high speed rail could encourage even more people to take holidays in the city and surrounding areas, or start them there. In numbers they forecast an additional 723,000 visitors, spending around £87m, would support around 1,740 extra jobs and £66m in annual GVA.
Andrew Morris, director of business organisation 20 Miles More, said: “There's no doubt that bringing high speed rail into Liverpool will have enormous benefits for the City Region, and we have been working with our partners to gather support and make the case.
"The High Speed Rail - Linking Liverpool campaign will build on this work and we will back any initiative which will strengthen the City Region's prospects of benefiting from high speed rail and the connectivity it will bring."
RTM spoke to HS2 Ltd about the campaign and was told that “we will be publishing more detail on the Phase Two route later this year”.
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