HS2 Eastern leg will help create 5,000 apprenticeships, says rail boss
Sir Terry Morgan has used his first engagement as chair of HS2 to reinforce support for Phase 2b of the project, which will run through the East Midlands, outlining its importance in the success of the UK’s biggest ever infrastructure scheme.
Speaking at an event in Newcastle hosted by Turner Townsend on behalf of HS2 East, a partnership which represents areas along the eastern leg of the Phase 2b route in the East Midlands and north of England, Morgan also signalled his intent to ramp up the organisation’s commitment to the skills agenda, outlining an ambition to create 5,000 apprenticeships, well over double the current target of 2,000.
Drawing comparisons with his experience as chair of Crossrail, Morgan suggested economic opportunities and job creation arising from HS2 Phase 2b would be far greater than currently anticipated. He was joined at the HS2 East event by former head of the Civil Service Lord Kerslake and major political and business leaders from across England.
The eastern leg of Phase 2b is a high speed connection between Birmingham, Toton in the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds.
Morgan said: “We need to stop thinking of HS2 as just a train line and recognise its potential to transform the lives of thousands of young people in this country. HS2 has committed to supporting the creation of 2,000 apprenticeships. I’m going further and saying this figure will be over 5,000. Skills and the regeneration of communities will be the long-term legacy of this project and the economic benefits are likely to significantly outstrip current projections. As ex-chair of Crossrail, I can tell you that we’ve already seen a boost to the economy that is more than double what we first thought, before the first train has even left the platform.
“For HS2 to work for the whole of the UK, Phase 2b must continue to move forward. The line will connect some of the country’s most promising growth areas, with Toton, Sheffield, Leeds, Chesterfield and Newcastle all set to reap significant rewards. This prosperity will not be restricted to urban centres, it will also be felt by the communities in the surrounding towns and rural areas.”
Lord Kerslake, former Head of the Civil Service said: “Phase 2b of HS2 must go ahead if we’re to achieve the economic rebalancing this country desperately needs. It’s true that London has the most developed economy in Northern Europe, but the UK is also home to five of the six poorest regions in this same geography. By linking key centres in the Midlands and the North East, HS2 will narrow spatial inequalities and become the backbone of a revitalised rail network.”
Andrew Pritchard from HS2 East, East Midlands Councils and Midlands Connect said: “The eastern leg of Phase 2b is not expendable. Local and regional partners in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and beyond must band together to remind Government of the considerable value Phase 2b will bring to the UK economy. Over 60% of Phase Two’s economic benefits come from the Eastern leg. Nobody can deny that better linking key regional centres will attract inward investment and create jobs. That’s something everyone wants.”
