'High speed rail key to meeting transport challenges' - ATOC

Responding to the launch of the consultation on High Speed 2, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies said:

“A new high speed line, alongside sustained investment in the existing rail network, is key if we are to meet the transport challenges that will face the country over the coming decades.

“Significant economic and environmental gains can be unlocked by cutting journey times, not just to Birmingham, but even more importantly to the UK’s big northern cities where the benefits of high speed will be felt the most.

“The benefits will stretch beyond the cities along the route of the new line. Easing capacity problems on the existing network also offers the option for faster and more frequent services to a number of towns such as Milton Keynes, Watford and Northampton once a line from London to Birmingham is up and running.

“We should be confident that we can meet the needs of the country as a whole whilst also addressing the local concerns of residents who may be affected. By deploying the best of British design and engineering in the construction the high speed line in Kent we struck the right balance between national and local interest – we can do the same again with high speed two.”

ENDS