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On Wednesday 19 June, Alex Norris MP (Labour, Nottingham North) held a Westminster Hall debate about East to West Midlands rail connectivity where he called for the Government to back the Midlands Connect’s project, the "Midlands Rail Hub".
His office gave us the following statement about the debate:
"It would be an ambitious upgrade of the region’s rail network, which would deliver new infrastructure, completed in phases between 2024 and 2033, to transform East-West rail connectivity across the Midlands with faster, more frequent and more reliable rail services between economic centres. The project includes new direct services between Coventry and Nottingham via Leicester and connects Hereford, Worcester, South West England and Wales to the new HS2 network. Their Strategic Outline Business Case will be submitted to the DfT this month."
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Andrew Jones MP, responded to the points raised during the debate stating that:
"I strongly believe that rail is a key driver of economic growth, environmental improvement and social mobility […] The Government fully understand that, and it is why we have secured a record investment of £48 billion for our rail network over the next five years and are investing £1.5 billion in the midlands main line upgrade—the biggest since its completion 150 years ago."
You can read his full response, as well as the contributions of other MPs to the debate on Hansard.
You can also watch the debate on Parliamentlive.tv.
His office gave us the following statement about the debate:
"It would be an ambitious upgrade of the region’s rail network, which would deliver new infrastructure, completed in phases between 2024 and 2033, to transform East-West rail connectivity across the Midlands with faster, more frequent and more reliable rail services between economic centres. The project includes new direct services between Coventry and Nottingham via Leicester and connects Hereford, Worcester, South West England and Wales to the new HS2 network. Their Strategic Outline Business Case will be submitted to the DfT this month."
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Andrew Jones MP, responded to the points raised during the debate stating that:
"I strongly believe that rail is a key driver of economic growth, environmental improvement and social mobility […] The Government fully understand that, and it is why we have secured a record investment of £48 billion for our rail network over the next five years and are investing £1.5 billion in the midlands main line upgrade—the biggest since its completion 150 years ago."
You can read his full response, as well as the contributions of other MPs to the debate on Hansard.
You can also watch the debate on Parliamentlive.tv.