Senior D2N2 officers will be among the regional leaders attending the launch of Midlands Connect tomorrow (October 22) – an initiative to build better transport links across the region.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin (pictured) and Executive Chairman of proposed high speed rail system HS2 Ltd, Sir David Higgins, will be among the key speakers at the official launch of the Midlands Connect event, at The Roundhouse in Derby, tomorrow morning.
Central and local government officials, business leaders and others will be attending to confirm their commitment to designing a better and more integrated transport network for the Midlands. Better connectivity is seen as vital to driving the ‘Midlands Engine’ for economic growth.
Midlands Connect is driven by a consortium including the region’s Local Enterprise Partnerships (such as D2N2 covering Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire), local authorities and business community; and Network Rail and the Highways Agency.
It aims to identify areas for investment and maximise growth by:
- developing an integrated plan for improved connectivity to HS2
- addressing east-west Midlands connections
- addressing capacity for freight movements
- improving connectivity to international markets via the region’s airports.
In the July (2015) Budget, Midlands Connect was given £5million in funding to pursue its strategy.
For more information about Midlands Connect see the strategy report at the web link HERE.
