Today the government announced the biggest ever public investment in Britain’s rail network which will deliver faster, more frequent, and more reliable journeys across North and Midlands. However, the HS2 link between the East Midlands and Leeds is now being scrapped.
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According to the new Integrated Rail Plan, the building of three new high-speed lines and enhancing rail services to and between the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, will revolutionise both east-west and north-south connectivity.
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However, instead of a new east-west line, the trans-Pennine route will be a patchwork of upgrades and electrification to the existing line, along with a section of new high-speed track east of Warrington. Meanwhile, HS2's eastern segment will come to a halt at East Midlands Parkway, improving trip times to London and Birmingham but returning to current track as far as Sheffield.
CIHT has always called for clarity and certainty in relation to the HS2 project and today’s announcement seems to clarify the final form of the project, together with confirmation of the government’s plan for future rail provision in the parts of the north and midlands. CIHT notes that there is still uncertainty in the plan and urge confirmation around key areas such as links to the rest of the UK, pinch points between Sheffield and Leeds and the timeframe for the Leeds Rapid Transit project as part of a detailed delivery plan as soon as possible so that the resources required can be put in place with confidence.
The announcement marks a shift in rail policy and confirms significant investment in improving several key routes to improve access and capacity to several cities across the north and midlands. It includes the welcome announcement of a rapid transit scheme for Leeds and improved ticketing arrangements across the north. The announcement of 3 new stretches of high-speed rail together with a number of on-line improvements across major routes is welcome. However, the removal of a new trans Pennine link and other new lines from the plan will give rise to concerns that existing route capacity will be directly affected during the period whilst the routes are improved. This could impact on the recovery of passenger numbers during this period and CIHT calls for clarity on how this will be managed to avoid a permanent shift from rail to road.
Whilst CIHT welcomes the investment announced today as part of an integrated plan for rail in the north and the transport funding announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review we urge the government to outline in an overall strategy how all our transport networks will work together across the nation to :
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