HS2 and other new and improved rail links will be vital to help "level up" the UK, political and transport leaders from across the country have told the Government.
A new report from the High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) - called High Speed Rail: Levelling Up Voices - brings together politicians, academics and transport leaders to tell the Government that transport investment can help raise living standards and "restore local pride and opportunity across the UK".
The group says that investment in regional transport systems is needed as "an economic resurgence cannot be achieved without engaging the cities and regions outside of London and the South East".
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As well as exploring the existing plans for HS2, the report also looks at the idea of an ‘X’ shaped high speed rail network that could not just link London and the North via the Midlands, but also reach Wales and the South West.
The report says investment in other major projects, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail and the East-West rail link from East Anglia to the west of England, is also needed.
A High Speed Rail Group spokesperson said: "The gaps between affluence and deprivation shrink as the distances between our towns and cities close. High speed rail is levelling up in action, and it should be at the heart of the Government’s drive to improve prosperity and wellbeing throughout the country.
“Our latest report is evidence of the multitude of ways that high speed rail can help deliver levelling up. Of course, as our contributors demonstrate, ‘levelling up’ means different things to different people, but what is consistent between them is reducing regional inequalities, spreading resources and opportunity more evenly, and putting infrastructure in place to bring our communities into the 21st century.”
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: "Even before its completion, we are already deriving a range of important benefits from HS2 as we strive to make the most of this once in a generation infrastructure investment. The prospect of much improved connectivity is helping to unlock major residential developments around forthcoming station sites.”
Steve Rotherham, metro mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Trains are vital to my region’s – and the wider North of England’s - fortunes. Yet for decades, communities across the North have been held back from fulfilling their potential by a lack of connectivity, having been forced to contend with short sighted solutions and consistent underfunding.
“But our railways are about far more than just getting people from place to place. They are a driver for, and a barometer of, social justice in this country.”
Martin Tugwell, chief executive, of Transport for the North, said: "Key to realising the potential of our people and places is the need for investment to improve connectivity, both across the North and with the rest of the UK. The Government’s commitment to HS2 gives added confidence to the private sector to invest in the North. It reinforces how the decisions we make on transport can be a major agent for change when it comes to making ‘levelling up’ real.”
Ian Fitzpatrick, principal and chief executive at the National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure (NCATI), said: "NCATI’s commitment to accessibility in skills and education opportunities is shared with, and spurred on by, HS2. Whether it is offering university students who live in the Midlands the chance to join HS2 on a paid work placement this summer, or creating thousands of apprenticeship vacancies across its duration, the HS2 programme ensures that people are given every opportunity to access training, enhance their skills and secure employment in the transport and infrastructure sector.”
Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Any serious policy which sets out to rebalance the nation’s economy and increase its productivity needs to have an efficient public transport system at its heart. HS2 must be central to that. Done well as a strategic investment, it can provide a massive stimulus to jobs, investment and the whole northern economy. Done short-sightedly, it will leave us counting the cost for many decades to come.”
Will Wilson, CEO at Siemens Mobility Limited UKI, said: "By using innovative technology, we can transform lines and passenger journeys up and down the country quickly and cost effectively, making reliable public transport easier to access for more people. Best of all, the solution is designed and manufactured in Britain supporting local jobs and skills for the future.”
Ben Still, chief executive at West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: "Our vision for West Yorkshire is to be recognised globally as a place with a strong, successful economy, whereby everyone can build great businesses, careers and lives supported by a superb environment and world-class infrastructure. The reason that rail improvements are so important is because of the vital role rail plays in sustainable economic growth, helping widen labour markets, improving agglomeration and increasing land values.”
Cllr Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff Council, said: “The levelling up agenda rightly recognises the need to rebalance a fractured UK economy. This should not be about transferring economic power from one region to another. Rather, it must be about maximising the economic potential of every city region within the UK. It is vital that we better connect the national transport system to raise productivity, unlock housing growth and support a transition to a ‘net zero’ future.”
