Derbyshire chamber Presses Transport Secretary on East Midlands High Speed Rail Hub

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Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce has stepped up its campaign to bring a High Speed Rail hub to the East Midlands by directly lobbying the new Secretary of State for Transport.

 

Chamber President Richard Wilkins has written to the Rt Hon Phillip Hammond MP, setting out the business case for establishing an East Midlands link to the proposed High Speed Rail network for the UK.

 

In the letter, Mr Wilkins states that some 97% of local firms support High Speed Rail and believe that the East Midlands economy would benefit from being connected to a UK – and European – network.

 

The proposed hub, which would be established under phase two of the government’s High Speed Rail proposals, could bring economic benefits of as much as £3.8bn to the region.

 

Around 80% of this would be attributable to business travel time savings, which could see as much as 45 minutes shaved off a journey to London.

 

The coalition government is thought to be considering options for phase two, which include either a single line from Manchester to Birmingham, which would connect to phase one of the scheme; or a Y-shaped network which would include the Birmingham to Manchester line, along with a second spur between Birmingham and Leeds. This option would allow for an East Midlands hub to be established.

 

Richard Wilkins, President of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber, said: “Clearly, we need good transport links here in the region and the Chamber feels that High Speed Rail will be the best way of connecting businesses in Derbyshire with London and beyond.

 

“From an economic viewpoint, High Speed Rail would make the region much closer to London, which will help encourage inward investment and drive economic growth and job creation.

 

“I have expressed the Chamber’s views directly to the Transport Secretary in the hope that when it comes to making a decision about the future of High Speed Rail, he will consider the benefits that this will bring to the whole of the Midlands, as opposed to the first option, which would only benefit Birmingham and the north West.

 

“The message is clear – the East Midlands wants a spur of this rail route and this view mustn’t be ignored.”