Staffordshire and Cheshire MPs met on Tuesday 26th November to discuss rail development and projects that could benefit their local areas. The roundtable was hosted by Sarah Edwards MP.
The roundtable session brought together senior representatives from Northern Powerhouse Partnership, West Midlands Combined Authority, HS2 Ltd, High Speed Rail Group, West Coast Partnership Development and Avanti West Coast, alongside MPs.
The recent Autumn Budget laid out the delivery of high-growth transport infrastructure projects including HS2 between Birmingham and London, the Transpennine Route Upgrade, and East West Rail. It outlined significant transport upgrades that will enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth across the country.
After decades of failed privatisation, Labour is bringing our railways back into public ownership. The recent bill passed in the House of Commons is the first step in the Governments comprehensive plan to fix out railways and deliver a service that is value for taxpayer money. This bill is part of Labours wider plan to modernise our railways and support improvements to infrastructure.
Organiser of the meeting, Sarah Edwards MP, said:
“It was great to meet with colleagues and key organisations to discuss how various rail projects could benefit our constituencies.
Changes to our railways will impact many of our constituencies so it’s vital we understand how it may benefit our residents, our local economies, and our rail connectivity.
It was a fantastic discussion where MPs from both counties raised their ideas around rail projects and connectivity, and discussed the challenges around the rail network at present. Rail provides an opportunity beyond just the tracks, with roads benefitting from reduced congestion, and commuters able to travel on more frequent services. Bringing MPs together the champion their areas is essential in projects going forwards.
Thank you to the partners that attended, and my colleagues for taking part in this important discussion.”
Henri Murison, Chief Executive of Northern Powerhouse Partnership said:
“The opportunity of building a new line as proposed between the Midlands to the North will have huge benefits for Staffordshire and Cheshire. HS2, before it was cancelled, would have delivered more capacity towards London and Manchester, Liverpool and on towards Leeds as well as give more reliability across the whole of the West Coast Mainline. It would also avoid long term additional congestion on the M6 and surrounding roads requiring a major additional motorway to be built by moving freight onto the conventional rail network.”
“The previous government cut investment in HS2, and replaced it with a set of vague ill-defined ideas, not much better than a fairytale, which meant a dramatic cut in investment in Crewe and the wider benefits to Staffordshire and Cheshire being lost. Building garden villages of homes near to stations
with new direct links, like Crewe and Manchester Airport, will be complimented by more seats on trains across the whole corridor, under the plans proposed by the private sector consortium.”
Connor Naismith, MP for Crewe and Nantwich said:
“As MP for Crewe and Nantwich, a hub of rail connectivity, I was pleased to contribute to the discussion on the future of our railways. Crewe is at the heart of plans to improve rail infrastructure, and it’s vital that these projects deliver tangible benefits for our community, our local economy, and the wider region.
Thank you to Sarah Edwards MP for hosting, bringing together MPs from across our region and facilitating a fantastic discussion so we can work together to achieve these common cross-county goals"
Shamit Gaiger, Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development, said:
“We always welcome meeting with MPs and stakeholders to collaborate together on delivering our shared aim for a future high speed railway that meets the needs of the customer as well as supporting regional growth. It was an extremely valuable discussion.”
Sarah has been working with the High Speed Rail Group as part of a long term piece of work on infrastructure and rail connectivity links. This meeting was organised by Sarah and HSRG to bring together key stakeholders to brief MPs on projects that will impact their constituencies in both Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Members who attended: Sarah Edwards (Tamworth), Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich), Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme), Dave Robertson (Lichfield), Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter), Gareth Snell (Stoke on Trent Central), Leigh Ingham (Stafford), Sarah Russel (Congleton), Andrew Cooper (Mid Cheshire)
Organisations who attended: HS2 Ltd, High Speed Rail Group, Field Consulting, Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Transport for West Midlands, WCDP, Costain