Newsroom
11/03/2010
High Speed Rail Plans Announced - Response from Cllr Paul Watson, Chair, Association of North East Councils
Plans for a new High Speed rail network were announced today by Lord Andrew Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport. These include the report by High Speed Two (HS2), the company set up by the Government to consider the case for new high speed services between London and Scotland, together with the Government's proposed high speed rail strategy, which is based on HS2's analysis.
In summary, this strategy is for the development of an initial core high speed network which would link London to Birmingham, Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds, with high speed trains running from the outset through to Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh. To view the report and related documents go to: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/
ANEC has consistently argued for a whole network approach to the development of high speed, with the advancement of an eastern corridor in parallel with a western route, in order to promote balanced economic growth across the UK, so we are encouraged that Government is proposing options for an east and west coast alignment.
Economic development opportunities rank as highly in this crucial debate as those linked to higher speeds and increased capacity. A high speed link between London and the North East of England and onwards to Scotland, offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the economic geography of the country, supporting economic growth and international competitiveness.
The North East has the fastest growth rates in the UK and capacity exists for the region to play a bigger role in UK growth, but efficient transport connections are vital to seize this opportunity. Failure to connect the North East to a high speed network would weaken investment in growth sectors in which we have a strong competitive advantage, such as low carbon technology, regenerative medicine, design and digital technology.
All of the research and experience from other European countries demonstrate that to maximise the capacity of high speed, there needs to be relatively large centres of population and activity along the entire route. The Tyne and Wear City Region has a population of 1.65 million, the Tees Valley City Region 875,000 people, and with Leeds and Sheffield City Regions providing an additional 4.4 million population, so there is a compelling case for a northerly route to connect these urban areas with the South of England and Scotland. The eastern regions (Leeds, Sheffield, Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear City Regions) and the three cities in the East Midlands (Derby, Leicester and Nottingham) have a combined population of 9.1 million and support 4.7 million jobs.
High speed should form part of a coherent strategy for the wider national rail network, which the Government's report recognises. It needs to be considered, not in isolation, but needs to form one important part of the long term strategy for rail in the UK. Investment in classic lines and city region transport systems is crucial, as even with high speed most economic activity will use these networks. Investing in these networks makes strong sense in the lead up to the development of a high speed network of the future, in order to deliver interim economic benefits and to ensure that the benefits of high speed are maximised from day one.
We know that on some sections of the conventional east coast main line, that demand will exceed capacity by over 45%, which needs to be addressed with urgent and innovative solutions.
We believe that there are compelling arguments for the North East to benefit from future investment in high speed and the Leaders Board, through ANEC, will continue to press the case, including making a strong response to the Government consultation process later this year.
Notes for editors
The Association of North East Councils is the representative body for local government in the North East. It encompasses the 12 local authorities in the North East in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and the Tees Valley, on issues of concern to them and the communities they serve.
It is a cross-party organisation, with all of its Members democratically elected and
accountable politicians.
For further information please contact Bethan Hughes, Communications Officer, on 0191 261 3917, email bethan.hughes@northeastcouncils.gov.uk
In summary, this strategy is for the development of an initial core high speed network which would link London to Birmingham, Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds, with high speed trains running from the outset through to Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh. To view the report and related documents go to: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/
ANEC has consistently argued for a whole network approach to the development of high speed, with the advancement of an eastern corridor in parallel with a western route, in order to promote balanced economic growth across the UK, so we are encouraged that Government is proposing options for an east and west coast alignment.
Economic development opportunities rank as highly in this crucial debate as those linked to higher speeds and increased capacity. A high speed link between London and the North East of England and onwards to Scotland, offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the economic geography of the country, supporting economic growth and international competitiveness.
The North East has the fastest growth rates in the UK and capacity exists for the region to play a bigger role in UK growth, but efficient transport connections are vital to seize this opportunity. Failure to connect the North East to a high speed network would weaken investment in growth sectors in which we have a strong competitive advantage, such as low carbon technology, regenerative medicine, design and digital technology.
All of the research and experience from other European countries demonstrate that to maximise the capacity of high speed, there needs to be relatively large centres of population and activity along the entire route. The Tyne and Wear City Region has a population of 1.65 million, the Tees Valley City Region 875,000 people, and with Leeds and Sheffield City Regions providing an additional 4.4 million population, so there is a compelling case for a northerly route to connect these urban areas with the South of England and Scotland. The eastern regions (Leeds, Sheffield, Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear City Regions) and the three cities in the East Midlands (Derby, Leicester and Nottingham) have a combined population of 9.1 million and support 4.7 million jobs.
High speed should form part of a coherent strategy for the wider national rail network, which the Government's report recognises. It needs to be considered, not in isolation, but needs to form one important part of the long term strategy for rail in the UK. Investment in classic lines and city region transport systems is crucial, as even with high speed most economic activity will use these networks. Investing in these networks makes strong sense in the lead up to the development of a high speed network of the future, in order to deliver interim economic benefits and to ensure that the benefits of high speed are maximised from day one.
We know that on some sections of the conventional east coast main line, that demand will exceed capacity by over 45%, which needs to be addressed with urgent and innovative solutions.
We believe that there are compelling arguments for the North East to benefit from future investment in high speed and the Leaders Board, through ANEC, will continue to press the case, including making a strong response to the Government consultation process later this year.
Notes for editors
The Association of North East Councils is the representative body for local government in the North East. It encompasses the 12 local authorities in the North East in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and the Tees Valley, on issues of concern to them and the communities they serve.
It is a cross-party organisation, with all of its Members democratically elected and
accountable politicians.
For further information please contact Bethan Hughes, Communications Officer, on 0191 261 3917, email bethan.hughes@northeastcouncils.gov.uk
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to view the PDF files or Microsoft Office to view the Word and Excel documents. If you do not have Microsoft Office you can download the Microsoft Word Reader and the Microsoft Excel Reader.
