Coventry-Nottingham-Leicester rail plan projects £400m boost and 3,000 jobs

The East Midlands Chamber has joined political leaders across the region in supporting calls to reinstate direct train services between Nottingham, Leicester, and Coventry.

Campaigners argue that reintroducing the service, which was halted in the early 2000s for work on the West Coast Line, could bring millions of pounds to the region and create thousands of jobs.

Midlands Connect, the organisation leading the charge, claims the reinstated service could be worth £400m and generate around 3,000 jobs.

To present their case, Midlands Connect hosted a conference at Coventry Transport Museum on February 28th, where political representatives and East Midlands Chamber director of Policy and Insight, Richard Blackmore, discussed the potential benefits.

The business case for the service was outlined at the event, with a focus on how the project could support regional businesses.

Midlands Connect first submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case to the Department for Transport in 2021.

Blackmore said: “Reinstatement of this critical service is a key ask of the Chamber’s Manifesto for Growth and would be of huge benefit to the East Midlands economy. Three important cities sit right next to each other – but not just geographically – they’re already connected by tracks, stations and most importantly a business need.

“It’s hard to believe you can no longer jump on a train in Nottingham or Leicester and get to Coventry on one train when it was once possible, and Coventry and Birmingham have direct trains. 30% of people choose the train for that route, but only 3% bother from Nottingham or Leicester.

“Removing that service was a backward move and it’s time that was righted.
Connectivity is a key lever in the decision making of businesses to invest in a region as this facilitates the ability to attract talent, connect supply chains and drive economic growth.”