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Tories back our campaign for high-speed rail link to London
THE Tories have backed the Yorkshire Post campaign for a direct high-speed rail route to London, saying such a link is crucial for the North to compete with the South.
Party chairman Eric Pickles said a 200mph line from Leeds and Sheffield to the capital was a "high priority" and it was vital for the environment to give rail an edge over short-haul flights.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has now confirmed that the Government will reveal its plans for a high-speed rail network by the end of March and the British Chambers of Commerce have said a political consensus on the issue is imperative to secure the necessary long-term investment.
The Yorkshire Post Fast Track to Yorkshire campaign is lobbying for the region to have a direct line amid fears a single route through the north west could be built, offering only branches into Yorkshire – a move business leaders believe would hugely disadvantage companies east of the Pennines.
Mr Pickles said he believed a consensus should be "pretty easy" to achieve – claiming the high-speed routes were the Tory's idea in the first place.
He said: "We set out these plans a long time ago and we are glad the Government has decided to come on board.
"A high-speed rail line between Leeds and London is a high priority.
"Not only is it being nice to Yorkshire businesses, but it is of strategic importance to give rail an edge over short-haul flights."
Mr Pickles admitted that costs would be a factor – a joint high- speed rail network servicing both the North-East and the North-West would cost an estimated 70bn – but said the future of the economy depended on it.
He said: "Of course it is going to be expensive – which is the reason why it has not been done before.
"And it is against the backdrop of a recession that we came out with this proposal.
"The problem with a network is not the open country up here but when you get to London, that is why a direct line is so important.
"It is clearly a priority – we are serious about giving Yorkshire and the North West a competitive advantage over parts of the country nearer to London."
By the end of this month Lord Adonis will have been given three options for routes by Sir David Rowlands and his High Speed Two (HS2) company which is advising the Government, with each one likely to include stops in Yorkshire.
If the Government decides to pursue proposals for high-speed lines, it will publish a White Paper by the end of March. This will include route proposals, timescales and associated financial, economic, and environmental assessments.
This would be followed by a full public consultation starting next autumn, giving all interested parties an opportunity to comment before the proposals are finalised.
A huge weight of support is building behind the Fast Track to Yorkshire campaign with businesses and politicians from all parties backing the call for a direct route to the capital amid fears the region could be by-passed.
Network Rail is currently looking at four options between Leeds and London, with various configurations including a connection across the Midlands to Birmingham.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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