The East Midlands is at the heart of the country’s strategic transport network – literally the crossroads of England. Good transport links are required for the movement of food, goods and services, efficient labour markets and to support local visitor economies in places such as the Peak District National Park, the Lincolnshire holiday coast, Sherwood Forest and international sporting venues at Silverstone and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.
HS2 and implications for the East Midlands
East Midlands Councils hosted a Department for Transport event about current high speed rail proposals (HS2) and implications for the East Midlands on Monday 13th February. Presentations from EMC and the Department of Transport are available below.
Priorities for Rail Investment in the East Midlands
High Speed 2 (DfT)
The Case for Upgrading and Electrifying the Midland Main Line
In a report produced by Consulting engineers Arup - The Case for Upgrading and Electrifying the Midland Main Line - for East Midlands Councils and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, a very positive case is made for electrifying and upgrading the Midland Main Line (MML). The report was published at an event in Westminster on November 29 2011.
The report highlights six main benefits of electrifying and upgrading the Midland Main Line :
- Improving Journey Times, Capacity and Reliability
- Providing Good Value for Money
- Generating Significant Economic Benefits, Helping to Rebalance the Economy
- Supporting Future Population Growth and Regeneration
- Reducing CO2 Emissions
- First Step towards an Improved Strategic Network
The Case for Upgrading and Electrifying the Midland Main Line (November 2011)
The Case for Upgrading and Electrifying the Midland Main Line - Technical Note (November 2011)
EMC and South Yorkshire PTE have published a factsheet setting out the key benefits of upgrading and electrifying the Midland Main Line. Based on the work commissioned from Arup, it also reflects the latest improved estimates of annual cost and C02 savings from Network Rail. The factsheet has been produced to support lobbying work by councils, business groups and LEPs in the run up to the Government's July announcement on rail spending priorities for 2014-19.
Upgrading and electrifying the Midland Main Line Factsheet
Members of EMC's Executive Board have written to the Minister of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers MP, to express their strong support for the proposals to upgrade and electrify the Midland Main Line set out in the 'Initial Industry Plan' (IIP) for CP5 (2014-19) and to ask that the proposed investments are specified in the Government's High Level Outputs Statement (HLOS) due in July 2012.
Letter to Theresa Villiers MP (April 2012)
A group of 12 Council leaders and LEP chairs from across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire have written a joint letter to Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Vince Cable to support proposals to upgrade and electrify the Midland Main Line. The letter calls on the Government to include rail industry proposals to upgrade and electrify the Midland Main Line in the next 5 year investment plan (2014-19), to be announced in July 2012. The letter follows a well attended ‘adjournment debate’ on the Midland Main Line led by Nicky Morgan MP (Loughborough), which took place in the House of Commons on the 16 April 2012.
Joint letter to Chancellor and Business Secretary (May 2012)
Midland Main Line (MML) Lobbying Event: 29 November 2011, Parliament Square London
This event will be jointly hosted by EMC, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and Clive Betts MP, Chair of the MML Parliamentary Group.
The objective is demonstrate the benefits and strength of political support for proposals electrify and enhance the Midland Main Line set out in Network Rail’s Initial Industry Plan for 2014-19, prior to formal funding decisions made in 2012-13 by the Government and the Office of the Rail Regulator.
Midland Main Line Lobbying Event Briefing Note
Final EMC Response to HS2 Consultation
EMC's response to the HS2 Consultation reflects the concerns about the strength of the business case for HS2, the impact HS2 could have on investment in existing transport infrastructure and need for EMC not to support or oppose the principle of HS2, but to focus on key issues of common concern.
HS2 Consultation Covering Letter
HS2 Final EMC Response