30.09.14
Push for HS3 from northern cities
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson made a powerful case for high-speed rail to be extended to his city at a discussion event last night, where he was joined by cities minister Greg Clark, Lords transport whip Lord Popat and ResPublica think tank founder Phillip Blond.
RTM editor Adam Hewitt chaired the panel debate at the Conservative Party Conference 2014 fringe last night, which focused on HS3 and east-west connectivity among England’s major northern cities.
The discussion focused on the potential new trans-Pennine tunnelled high-speed line between Manchester and Leeds and the more extensive proposals under the £15bn One North plans, which would also include highways improvements alongside major rail upgrades.
Representing his city and the ‘20 Miles More’ campaign, Joe Anderson said it is “absolutely madness” not to improve transport connections across the north and into Liverpool.
He said the cases for both HS2 and HS3 are “overwhelming”, while Blond said all the investment going into HS2 will simply suck jobs away from the north and towards the Midlands and London, unless east-west connectivity is radically improved in the north and more powers are devolved to visionary city leaders across the region.
He said: “It’s imperative and vitally important to the future of the north of this country that we have high-speed rail going from Liverpool to Hull.”
Blond was one of the signatories to the original 20 Miles More letter earlier this year.
Cities minister Greg Clark MP – also responsible for universities and science – praised Anderson’s record as Liverpool mayor, despite being from opposing parties. He and Lord Popat, for the government, were keen to reiterate that HS3, as outlined by chancellor George Osborne this summer, remained a proposal and not a fully-costed guarantee.
Among those in the audience for the debate were the boss of Siemens rail in the UK, Steve Scrimshaw, and Transport for Greater Manchester Jon Lamonte, who tweeted:
Some other tweets from the night: