Dear Stakeholder,
Hopefully, you have picked up some of the recent media interest in the proposed Midlands’ High Speed Rail Links to London and the Continent.
The provision of High-Speed Rail will have an impact upon our region for generations to come, and it is imperative that everyone inputs to the process.
You might think it odd that an Airport supports what is often portrayed as a competitive transport mode; however we take the view that all transportation modes are complimentary, although some are more appropriate to journeys than others. For example, Birmingham to London is best done by rail, whilst the only sensible way to get to Dubai is by Air.
Although there are excellent reasons for also having a station in the centre of Birmingham as well, I am writing to gain your support for a station at the Airport/NEC, to serve the wider West Midlands, and to form part of an integrated transport hub and European/Global Gateway. As I write, there is no guarantee that this will happen, and there is a danger that regional benefits could be lost.
Of course, as a biased Midlander, it would be easy for me to ask why what is good for Greater London (the proposed Heathrow station) cannot be mirrored for the wider West Midlands (the aBirmingham International Hub); however there are compelling reasons why The Birmingham International Hub should be supported.
The Birmingham International Hub - located at or very close to Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre would provide additional connectivity to those locations, and link with an existing transport hub. We propose that the hub be delivered so that new direct rail services from across the region could link with High Speed Rail as well as international flights.
The Birmingham International Hub would also ‘plug in’ to the M42 corridor – acknowledged by the Regional Development Agency as a major economic driver of the region. It would also provide a route to additional aviation capacity in the event that the third runway at Heathrow did not go ahead (Birmingham Airport has significant spare capacity and thus is a valuable resource to be exploited).
The Birmingham International Hub would compliment connectivity provided in central Birmingham. For instance, North Warwickshire and Coventry would be economic beneficiaries, as well as those in the many towns located around and near the Midlands ‘Motorway Box’/A38/M6 Toll Corridors, for whom travel to Birmingham City Centre might not be an optimal solution.
Without a ‘Birmingham International Hub’, there is a risk of long-term economic decline across one of the most successful parts of the Midlands – but it does not end there. There is also a risk of unintended consequences. Our Airport Master Plan to 2030 envisages the creation of thousands of jobs – both at the Airport and in the wider region.
The same situation applies at the adjacent National Exhibition Centre. A High-speed line that avoided the Airport/NEC could ‘siphon off’ job opportunities from the region to the South East, and also exacerbate the volume of needless journeys ‘out of region’ to Heathrow.
This is not an either/or argument. The ‘Birmingham International Hub’ would not preclude a route into central Birmingham; indeed provision was made for additional lines alongside the London to Birmingham railway as long ago as the 1930s.
All of this needs a proper, wider regional economic assessment. We have suggested that the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, is in a prime position to carry out this work, but it is not clear to what extent a study will rely on information submitted as opposed to that actively sought. We do know that AWM will welcome any submissions or representations that you may have (as will High Speed 2 – the Government Company set up to drive High-Speed Rail forward). It is vital that, if you have any supporting information, you make this available to those organisations as soon as possible.
You might also be interested to learn that Solihull Chamber of Commerce is holding an event to discuss High Speed Rail at Birmingham Business Park, at 1730 on 8th September. If you would like to attend, or need more information, please contact Solihull Chamber on 0121 784 7381.
Time is running out
It is my understanding that a preferred route could be referred to HS2, as early as September. Certainly, HS2 has to report to Government by 31st December. Only last week, Lord Adonis suggested that the route could be constructed within 10 years, so the Planning and Consultation period will have to be slick.
Once a preferred route has been announced, there will probably be a formal consultation; however it is essential that the Birmingham International Hub be part of the approved route as it seems unlikely that this could be changed at a later date.
Who to write to
If you are able to support the concept of the Birmingham International Hub, and if you can also state the benefits to you or your organisation (or the wider region) then please write to:
Alison Munro
Chief Executive
High Speed 2 Limited
55 Victoria
London
SW1H 0EU
Mark Pearce
Advantage West Midlands
3 Priestley Wharf
Holt Street,
Aston Science Park
Birmingham
B7 4BN
With a copy to me, please.
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to read this note.
Yours sincerely
John Morris
Head of Corporate Affairs
