I thank my hon. Friend for her comments. It is evident that the debate on High Speed 2 is often cast solely in terms of access to London, but this is also about access between major cities. For example, if and when the line is completed as planned, Manchester and Leeds would be brought within 80 minutes of London, travelling from Manchester to Birmingham would take 49 minutes, while Birmingham to Leeds would take one hour and five minutes. It is as much about the connectivity between the cities of the United Kingdom as it is between cities and their access solely to London. Indeed, a high-speed line offers a dramatic shift in connectivity between the UK's major cities as well as improved access from the regions to Heathrow and, through linking with High Speed 1, to continental Europe.
A high-speed network could be a catalyst for economic growth, supporting jobs and investment. It could help to rebalance the economy and address the north-south divide.
Transport Committee Report (High Speed Rail)
Proceeding contribution from
Louise Ellman
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 8 November 2011.
It occurred during Backbench debate on Transport Committee Report (High Speed Rail).
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
535 c214-5 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
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Timestamp
2023-12-15 19:26:32 +0000
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