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Posts Tagged ‘Birmingham High Speed rail’

Business Leaders Back HS2

June 15, 2011 @ 12:40 pm
posted by MBailey

More than 400 business leaders have given overwhelming support in backing plans for the Birmingham to London HS2 High Speed rail line.  Opponents to HS2 could only muster a handful of business backers.

The glowing endorsement for High Speed rail leaves the no campaign in tatters and with the leaders of the campaign labelled as “nimbys”.

The proposed High Speed rail line will run into a new Curzon St Station in Birmingham and will be vital for attracting growth to the West Midlands. It will slash journey times to the London and its claimed will cement Birmingham as the UK’s second city.

The transport secretary, Philip Hammond described the petition backing the scheme as a “huge vote of confidence in our plans” as he launched a campaign in favor of the project on Tuesday at Nomura’s headquarters in the City of London.
Mr Hammond said the 400 signatures on the petition showed business believed that better transport links were “vital” to the country’s economic health.

“A new railway was always going to create opposition from the people who live closest to it, but this shows the level of national support . . . for more and quicker trains between our major cities,” he said.

“A vocal minority are determined to block our ambitious proposals to create a railway fit for the 21st century. It is important that all those who are in favor make themselves heard.”

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