Transport Minister throws weight behind East Midlands HS2 leg

The East Midlands leg of HS2 has been given a boost at receiving the backing of a government Minister.

Speaking at an event in Westminster hosted by Turner & Townsend on behalf of HS2 East, a partnership representing towns and cities along the eastern leg of the Phase 2b route, Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Let no one doubt my department’s full commitment to the entire project.”

She was oined by HS2 chair Allan Cook and Lord Kerslake, former head of the Civil Service, as well as speakers from organisations across the Midlands and the North.

The eastern leg of HS2 is a high speed connection between Birmingham, Toton in the East Midlands, Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle, and will improve journey times up to Scotland.

HS2’s construction also comes hand in hand with swathes of development and regeneration, including an innovation campus at Toton, as well as plans to double the size of Leeds city centre, transforming the area around the city’s new HS2 station.

This week, a £2m government fund to establish a locally-led East Midlands Development Corporation was signed off, aimed at accelerating development opportunities and transport connectivity around the HS2 East Midlands Hub station at Toton and across the region, bringing forward tens of thousands of new jobs and thousands of homes.

Nusrat Ghani, Undersecretary of State for Transport, said: “We need to shout the benefits of HS2. This is a railway that will have a profoundly positive impact on the cities and towns along the length of the Eastern Leg for generations to come.

“It is the defining infrastructure project of a generation – one that can transform and rebalance our entire economy and provide a major boost to places like Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. HS2 is happening and we will continue to work with regional partners to ensure we smash the North/South divide.”

Andrew Pritchard from HS2 East, East Midlands Councils and Midlands Connect said: “The Eastern Leg of HS2 will create a new, ‘virtual conurbation’ combining the economic muscle of our towns and cities to allow businesses to compete on the world stage. The route is already home to a number of internationally-leading organisations such as JCB, Rolls Royce, Siemens and Bombardier. Linking our advanced manufacturing experts by high speed rail will foster increased productivity, innovation and economic growth.

“Rail patronage is at an all-time high; to meet demand and create capacity for future growth there is only one solution, HS2. By freeing up space on the rest of the network we can improve local rail services and increase the use of rail freight, shifting traffic from the roads to the railways. We mustn’t forget that over 60 per cent of Phase Two’s economic benefits come from the Eastern Leg, its delivery is not an added extra but essential.”