Time to put the North on track

Jan 23 2009 by Nicholas Craig, Watson Burton

TRANSPORT problems are becoming terminal. Heathrow is determined to be the biggest airport, but it is far from the best. The proposed new runway will do little to make it a more comfortable or efficient experience for passengers.

Once BAA is broken up, the dominance of Heathrow in London and the role of the regional airports need to be assessed by government. The economic case presented by the Transport Secretary to support expansion at Heathrow is that British Airways wants to create a global “hub and spoke” network there, flying through millions of transit passengers.

Transit passengers do precious little to benefit Britain’s tourist economy. We should instead investigate the best ways in which transport strategies can boost business and tourism throughout the country.

Far less emphasis on Heathrow as the main UK airport could increase use and facilities at the better located Gatwick, particularly if it was granted its long-wished-for second runway.

The future potential growth of regional airports such as Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley for UK tourism, business and freight should also be investigated. Airports in the South East are clogged and linking transport routes far too congested.

The trains could take some of the strain. A high-speed train line could cut the journey time from Newcastle to London to just 90 minutes. Nick Brown, Minister for the North East, said in December that he would work with National Express East Coast to estimate the cost of such a service. We await the results with intense interest.

The need to drive forward the proposal so that Labour and Conservatives sign up to a high-speed service from London to Newcastle and on to Scotland is crucial. A high-speed train could reinvigorate the economy of the region and make it so much more easy and accessible for business and investment.

A North super-region could be nurtured on the back of a strong transport infrastructure that connects Northumberland with Teesside in 12 minutes and Newcastle with the capital in the time most London workers commute from the suburbs.

In a week in which America has welcomed extraordinary change following Barack Obama’s inauguration, anything could be possible. A transport policy that acknowledges the needs of the North East and addresses them may be a step too far this year, but we can, in the words of Obama, choose hope over fear and look for an end to petty grievances and false promises.

Nicholas Craig is a partner at Watson Burton law firm