HS2 Business Case – Industry Leader’s Group Response

Commenting on the Department for Transport release of the updated Strategic Business Case for High Speed 2, Lawrie Quinn, Chair of the Railway Engineers Forum, said:

“The updated business case is hugely welcome, and paints a compelling picture of the wide-ranging economic and transport benefits that HS2 will bring.

“As many of us who have worked on big infrastructure projects like this will know, the business case will become even stronger as the project goes on and as more businesses gear up for HS2 and look to invest in our growing UK cities.

“What this new research shows is the benefits the project will have for travellers off the HS2 route too.  It will free up additional capacity in the routes into and out of our largest cities, bring more frequent commuter services for places such as Watford, Milton Keynes, Rugby and the outskirts of Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, and better rail links for places including Shrewsbury, Cambridge and Lincoln.

“The business case is made and the industry is ready and waiting to deliver. What we need now is for politicians to give the project their full backing when the Bill returns to Parliament this week.”