Faster rail welcomed by Tees Valley business organisations
BUSINESS organisations in Tees Valley have given a qualified welcome to the government's commitment to extend the high speed rail network - but warned it must not be at the expense of investment in the east coast mainline.
Yesterday’s confirmation that it would start building a £30 billion high-speed link, initially from London to Birmingham and later extended to Leeds, in 2017, was hailed as a major step in transforming the rail network - although Conservatives said that failing to include Heathrow on the route was a major flaw. Andrew Sugden, director of membership and policy at the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is good news for the North-east as the Government’s plans see high-speed rail services operating to and from the region. However, we need firm assurances that the North-east will be included from day one and this commitment must not be at the cost of a lack of investment for the East Coast mainline.”
The CBI warned that high speed rail came with a “hefty price tag and sooner or later the question of who pays for it will have to be answered”.
Two unions were due to stage a demonstration today outside Network Rail’s headquarters in a row over jobs. Thousands of Network Rail maintenance workers voted strongly in favour of strikes bringing the threat of industrial action over Easter closer.
