New vision for rail investment ‘could deliver 300,000 jobs’
A new vision for rail investment across North Wales and North West England would deliver 300,000 new jobs and boost productivity and home-building, according to a report to be launched in the House of Commons today.
The West and Wales Strategic Rail Prospectus has been created by a collaboration of public and private sector leaders from Cheshire West and Chester, North Wales, Warrington and Cheshire East, and has the backing of Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester.
The prospectus sets out how the residents in the area, which has a population of some 2.1m people, would benefit from improved journey times and more frequent services, which would boost economic growth and take cars off the roads.
The document calls for investment in the strategic rail hubs of Crewe, Warrington, Manchester Airport and Chester if HS2 is to fulfil its true potential, along with improvements right across the network to improve connectivity and mobility.
The prospectus says that a proper rail hub at Crewe is required, with 5 – 7 fast trains per hour stopping there, and frequent local services on the lines that converge on Crewe to bring over 1.5m people over an hour closer to London.
The prospectus specifically calls for the Government to:
· Work in collaboration to enable rail to support the delivery of growth
· Provide kick-start funding for feasibility and business case development
· Support the delivery of identified solutions for rail services and infrastructure
· Help to develop and implement improved processes within the rail industry which enable schemes to be developed and delivered more cost effectively
· Recognise and support the 4 hub concept in extending the benefits of HS2 to a wider area
This work also supports Transport for the North’s wider plans to transform economic growth and support increased transport demand across the North of England and North Wales. It is currently consulting on its draft Strategic Transport Plan for the North, with the West and Wales Strategic Development Corridor a key priority for investment.
The prospectus will be launched at an event at the House of Commons today which will be addressed by the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling; the Wales Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates, and Cheshire West and Chester council leader Samantha Dixon.
Dixon said: “Targeted investment in the area’s four key rail hubs and across the North Wales, Cheshire and Warrington rail network can deliver a step change in connectivity and growth across the region. We are asking Government and the wider rail industry to recognise the potential that this investment can bring and to work alongside us to make it a reality.”
Skates added: “This prospectus sets out a compelling and clear case for cross-border investment which would enhance opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people and many businesses to ensure the benefits of HS2 can be felt from Crewe to Conwy and beyond.”
