Greater Manchester LEP chairman calls for ‘forward thinking spirit’ to High Speed 2

Trains

Mike Blackburn, chairman of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Later this month, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin will announce plans for the next stage of HS2 – Britain’s new high speed railway. For Manchester, this will be momentous news. HS2 is an unmissable opportunity that the North West must grab.

“So far, we have only seen details of Phase 1, the route from London to Birmingham. But Phase 2 is when the Government’s vision for high speed rail really starts to make sense. By linking Birmingham with Manchester, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Leeds in a Y-shaped network, HS2 will connect nine of the UK’s ten largest cities. It will benefit rail users far beyond those who will take the high speed option – it will also free up much-needed capacity on local and regional services across the north, easing overcrowding on commuter routes and taking the pressure off our motorways.

“But HS2 won’t just transform the way we travel. It will also be a huge shot in the arm for the economy. Independent research by Volterra concluded that the new railway will deliver 10,000 new jobs to the North West. For the business community, there are obvious benefits to having two thirds of people living in the North within two hours of the capital. But more importantly, high speed will bring cities in the North and Midlands much closer together, so we can really start rivalling London for jobs and opportunities and bridge the economic divide.

“HS2 has come none too soon. The truth is that the North West has needed this new railway for decades. In recent years our regional economy has grown faster than any other outside the south-east, but if this is to continue, we need quick, reliable connections to markets, suppliers and labour sources – and that’s precisely what HS2 will deliver.

“There is more demand for rail travel in the North West than at any time since the 1940s – and yet we have a 19th century railway straining to support a 21st century economy. Almost every other developed country around the world has joined the high speed rail revolution before us, and we need to learn from their successes if we’re to compete in a global market.

“Look at France, for example, where the high speed rail link between Lyon and Paris gave Lyon a massive economic boost. It kick-started regeneration and saw the growth of a whole new business district around the high speed station.

“Greater Manchester is a place built on the foundations of the Industrial Revolution and all the ambition and drive of the Victorian railway pioneers, and our economy has always thrived on innovation. Let’s welcome HS2 with the same forward-thinking spirit that made Manchester great, and help it grow even greater.”