Seven key improvements to the 海角视频's rail network has been proposed to the 海角视频 Government.
The High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) submitted the transport proposals to聽Sir Peter Hendy鈥檚 Union Connectivity Review.
Ideas include upgrades to existing links from Glasgow/Edinburgh to London and Birmingham/Manchester, an Irish Sea rail tunnel, and improved services in Wales and the borders.
They said: "We welcome the creation of the Union Connectivity Review, and believe that there is much of significant value in the ambitions which the Government has set for it.
"Our submission focuses on how the rail sector and specifically high speed rail can play a major role in supporting investment, economic growth, and cohesion across the 海角视频."
The seven proposed improvements called for by HSRG are as follows:
1: Glasgow/ Edinburgh 鈥 London : Crewe-Glasgow/Edinburgh WCML (north) route upgrade to reduce journey times (post-HS2) to 3h10 and ensure there is sufficient capacity to accommodate anticipated demand that HS2 will bring north of Crewe.
- Benefits : Economic boost to tourism and city based growth industries, a significant carbon reduction from air to rail modal shift, more capacity to add freight and reduce long haul HGV movements and Scottish access to HS1 and the European high speed rail network.
2: Birmingham/ Manchester 鈥 Glasgow/ Edinburgh: WCML (north) upgrade (as above) to add capacity and reduce journey times.
- Benefits : Carbon reduction from modal shift, in addition to huge expansion of the day/ half day business catchments in 4/10 of the 海角视频鈥檚 biggest city economies.
3: Cardiff 鈥 Birmingham 鈥 Newcastle 鈥 Edinburgh : Convert 鈥榊鈥 shaped HS2 network to an 鈥榅鈥, providing a direct connection between Cardiff and Edinburgh.
- Benefits : Provision of direct rail connections currently missing between Cardiff and Sheffield, Leeds, York, Tees Valley and Newcastle. In addition, would improve Gloucester鈥檚 rail connectivity and make South Wales a beneficiary of HS2. Also strengthens the case for investment along the northern half of the East Coast Main Line, in both England and Scotland.
4: Cardiff 鈥 Liverpool/Manchester : Upgrade of Newport-Crewe railway to accommodate additional and faster services (including between North/Mid Wales and Cardiff).
- Benefits : Cross-border link enhancements, provision of better north-south cross-Wales connections and better connectivity for the economically weak English border counties, especially Herefordshire.
5: Galashiels/Hawick 鈥 Carlisle : The Borders railway southern extension.
- Benefits : Useful diversionary route from Carlisle to Edinburgh at times of service disruption and strengthen the Borders region cross-border link in an area of poor roads, no rail service and low productivity.
6: Manchester Airport 鈥 Chester-Bangor 鈥 Holyhead: Route electrification and use of the proposed Manchester Airport western rail link to attract passengers and freight to rail and take pressure off key sections of the national motorway.
- Benefits : Boost to major businesses on North Wales/English border, enhanced labour market catchment for cluster of industries on the Mersey Dee border area.
7: Edinburgh/Glasgow and London 鈥 Belfast : Provision of a cross-Irish Sea rail tunnel with connecting rail links to Carlisle and Belfast.
- Benefits : Binds Northern Ireland closer to Great Britain and helps address challenges in the post-Brexit Northern Ireland economy, as well as increasing connectivity for South West Scotland.
Jim Steer, HSRG Board Member, said: 鈥淭here is an urgent need for both new and improved transport links between the four nations of the United Kingdom, which have been systematically neglected for too long.
"Cross-border travel markets for rail were growing strongly over the period to 2019. Travel generates economic value, but the opportunity for further economic stimulus from this source will be lost if transport network capacity constraints are not addressed.
鈥淏uilding on the transformative impact of HS2 鈥 HSRG are calling for these cross-border rail links to be addressed as a matter of urgency, safeguarding the strength of the whole of the 海角视频 economy in the years ahead.鈥
Vale of Clwyd MP James Davies said: 鈥淭he Union Connectivity Review remains an important opportunity for North Wales to secure the rail and road infrastructure improvements which have been needed for decades.
鈥淎s Chair of the Mersey Dee North Wales All-Party Parliamentary Group, I am liaising with Sir Peter Hendy, who is leading the review, to press the case for our region.
"It is my hope that his remit to 'level up' transport infrastructure and better join together all parts of the 海角视频, can align with the decarbonisation agenda to drive electrification of the Crewe to Holyhead railway line.
"We also need to see critical investments at Crewe, Warrington and Manchester in particular to ensure that the connectivity and speed of our rail services matches that of other regions.鈥
