Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin launched a new report into the regeneration and transport benefits of high-speed rail on May 16.

Authored by the Independent Transport Commission (ITC), High Speed Rail & Connected Cities examines experience gained in Europe, and explores how towns and cities on the route can maximise the wider benefits from High Speed 2.

The report says that while Greater Manchester is “ahead of the game” in preparing for HS2, Greater Birmingham and the West Midlands face “significant challenges in effectively integrating HS2 with local and regional transport”.

It argues that Leeds and West Yorkshire can strengthen its position as a connection hub between the UK and mainland Europe, that Sheffield needs to have strong local and regional transport to feed into HS2, and that Crewe must “intensify and improve the region’s local connectivity” given the disparate nature of settlements in the area. 

  • For more on this, read RAIL 801, published on May 25.