New calls for high speed rail in Yorkshire
BUSINESS leaders and local authorities insist the battle for a new high speed rail line serving Yorkshire is not lost despite huge public sector funding cuts and a review of the plans announced by the Government.
Chambers of Commerce in Yorkshire will write to the new Conservative Transport Secretary to insist that the economic case for the line remains compelling in the wake of a meeting of business representatives and the South and West Yorkshire passenger transport executives.
The last Government announced plans for a Y-shaped line with the line connecting London to Birmingham before splitting either side of the pennines with the eastern branch serving the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
However, the Conservative manifesto included plans for an S-shaped line taking trains to Manchester before heading to Leeds.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has asked High Speed Two, the Government-created company set up to develop the new route, to review his predecessor’s plans.
Andrew Denniff, policy and communications manager at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “The business case for bringing high speed rail to the eastern side of the Pennines is compelling. Whilst we understand the economic situation it is important that we look forward and plan for the future.
“This would bring great benefits to the region by enabling us to reach more firms and customers, something that would especially help South Yorkshire manufacturing, which has many firms of national and international standing which need to be able to reach as wide a market as possible.
“The three Chambers in South Yorkshire are fully supportive of the high speed rail project and will work with our partners to keep pushing for it to be built east of the Pennines.”
