High-speed London rail link 'could give £62bn boost to Yorkshire'

The document, commissioned by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (Metro) argues the case for a Y-shaped high speed rail route, which would link London with Birmingham and then split into two lines, one to the west of the Pennines to Manchester and one to the east, connecting London with the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds.

This was the route recommended by the previous Government but, in June, it was suggested by the new coalition Government a "reverse S"-shaped route should also be considered, which would access Leeds by an indirect route via Manchester and not serve Sheffield at all.

As a result this new report was commissioned, entitled The Economic Case for High Speed Rail to Leeds City Region and Sheffield City Region, written by consultancy firms Arup and Volterra. It claims the route to the east of the Pennines, which would connect Leeds to London in 80 minutes rather than the current 140 minutes, would deliver an estimated 60bn in transport benefits and a further 2.3bn in productivity benefits to the region. It is thought 750m and 420m would accrue in the Leeds and Sheffield "city regions" respectively.

The chairman of Metro, Coun Chris Greaves, said: "High speed rail has the potential to transform the shape of the national economy.

"To do so it must access the areas with the most significant centres of population and employment."

A direct route to Leeds, the report says, would gain greater economic benefits than the alternative option of the route via Manchester. It also says onward extensions of the route north, to Middlesbrough and Tyne and Wear, could connect a further 2.2 million people and 900,000 jobs to the eastern route.

Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce welcomed the findings and director of policy Ian Williams said: "The chamber hopes this report will convince the coalition Government that a Y-shaped route is the best option."