Chancellor George Osborne today unveiled plans for a third High Speed Rail phase to connect the proposed HS2 lines across the north of England.
The HS3 project would be based on the existing Manchester-to-Leeds rail line but journey times would be reduced by building new tunnels and infrastructure, in a bid to link all major northern cities to the High Speed Rail network.
George Cowcher, Chief Executive of the Chamber of Commerce for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, said: “While the Chancellor is right to look at ways of rebalancing the economy away from London and unlocking the economic potential of the north, he needs to ensure he doesn’t overlook the importance of the East Midlands, which is the UK’s manufacturing heartland.
“Having a new economic power house in the north and an already well-established one in the south would place further emphasis on ensuring north to south connectivity for this region.
“It’s also important to stress that investment in both HS2 and HS3 shouldn’t come at the expense of investment in rail infrastructure in general, to ensure the East Midlands has a transport network which befits its reputation as a significant driver of the UK’s economic growth.”
