Business leaders urged to back HS2

BUSINESSES in the region are being urged to back a campaign for HS2, a high speed rail network that could reduce journey times to London by an hour.

The Yes to High Speed Rail campaign, which says it is ndependent from the Government and HS2 Ltd, has been set up by employers who believe the country needs a modern rail network, “to meet the challenges of the 21st century”.

The group says the 150mph high speed network could bring £44bn in benefits to the UK economy.

The proposed Y-shaped high speed rail network will run north from London to Birmingham where it will fork to Yorkshire and the North West.

Yes to High Speed Rail is already backed by business leaders from the region, including Neil Scales, chief executive of Merseytravel and Clive Memmott, chief executive of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Campaign director David Begg said: “In addition to providing increased opportunities to do business, the high speed rail network would significantly help Britain’s economy by bringing better services to more people. It will also provide a jobs boost to the parts of the country that need it.”

For more information about the campaign visit www.campaignforhsr.com.