Industry calls on Prime Minister to prioritise connectivity for UK regions

12 February 2021

  • LEADING FIRMS URGE PM TO ENSURE HS2 DELIVERS CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN YORKSHIRE, EAST MIDLANDS AND WEST MIDLANDS
  • FIRMS REPRESENTING 72,000 EMPLOYEES CALL ON PM TO ACT ONE YEAR ON FROM HIS ‘GO’ DECISION FOR HS2
  • INDUSTRY PLEDGES TO WORK WITH GOVERNMENT AND HS2 TO DELIVER VALUE FOR MONEY
Industry leaders representing 72,000 employees have today called on the Prime Minister to prioritise connectivity between Yorkshire, the East Midlands, and West Midlands. The letter marks the one year anniversary of the Prime Minister committing to proceed with HS2, and comes the day after Royal Assent was formally granted for HS2 Phase 2a. In the letter, leading rail, construction and engineering firms urge the Government to ensure that as many parts of the UK as possible see the benefits of HS2 and the Integrated Rail Plan.

Commenting on the letter, a High Speed Rail Group spokesperson said: “High speed rail will be central to the environmental, economic, and social future of the UK. The Prime Minister has vowed to ‘level up’ Britain, and this means delivering the full economic benefits of HS2 and the Integrated Rail Plan to as many UK regions as possible, including Yorkshire, the East Midlands, and the West Midlands.”

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “HS2 is being built right now, supporting thousands of real jobs, and regenerating towns and communities across the UK already; and it is set to catalyse billions of pounds of private investment, as the country seeks to Build Back Better out of this Coronavirus pandemic. Completing the Eastern Leg – which plays a crucial role in the route – means the full connectivity and capacity benefits of the scheme will be realised. And so we today urge the Government to give it the ‘green light’ and let the rail businesses listed in this letter unleash the full economic benefits HS2 provides.”

The Letter

Notes to Editors

 

  1. Contact: Field Consulting [email protected]
  2. About High Speed Rail Group (HSRG): Representing companies with experience and an interest in high speed rail, High Speed Rail Group is committed to supporting the successful delivery of a world-class high speed rail network in Britain. Our members have helped deliver major infrastructure projects in the UK and around the world, ranging from creating entirely new high speed networks through tomaintaining and improving the UK’s existing rail network. This gives us a unique insight into both the shortcomings in the current network, and the transformative capacity and connectivity benefits that high speed rail can bring. Our unique set of expertise in engineering, operations, funding and regulation gives us the experience to ensure the extension of the high speed rail network leaves a lasting legacy for the UK. The company’s principal objective is: “to support, promote and champion the development of high speed rail in Great Britain”. For more information about HSRG, please visit http://www.rail-leaders.com/
  3. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. RIA has 300+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. It is also a vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the globe and to share best practice and innovation across the industry. www.riagb.org.uk