HS2 needed to avoid 'embarrassment' - leaders
Business heavyweights have written a public letter urging the government to go ahead with its high-speed rail plans.
The letter says the HS2 rail plan for London to Birmingham is needed as the UK lags behind other "world-class" economies such as France and Japan. The leaders are also fearful of the UK's transport progress against developing countries, claiming Britain is now also trailing behind Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
The letter, sent to the Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, has been signed by business leaders including John Longworth, director general of the Coventry-based British Chambers of Commerce; Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of Siemens Rolling Stock; Colin Matthews, chief executive of BAA; and Andrew Tinkler, chief executive of the Stobart Group.
The leaders said: "The absence of a high-speed rail line connecting the northern parts of Britain to London and the European Union is a continuous embarrassment to those promoting British business overseas.
"Economic studies show that effective modes of transport, including high-speed rail, enable entrepreneurs to get their goods and services to market in a secure and timely manner and facilitate the movement of workers to the most suitable jobs."
A final decision on HS2 had been expected before Christmas but was delayed by the government. It is now also considering plans to build a £500m tunnel through the Chiltern Hills to preserve the countryside.
