Chamber backs rail link revival

New plans to reinstate direct rail links between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham have a crucial role to play in putting Coventry and Warwickshire companies on track for growth, according to a prominent business leader.

Midlands Connect has unveiled proposals that would see an increase in services and a reduction in journey times by around half for those travelling between Coventry, Leicester, and Nottingham by rail; which could also create £400 million of economic benefits for the region.

Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, attended the launch of the plans at Coventry Transport Museum, and believes the proposals make perfect sense for the region both economically and socially.

Corin said: “Better connectivity has a crucial role to play in helping businesses of all sizes to address big barriers to growth – and this latest proposal provides a golden opportunity for all sectors to come to together to urge government to make these plans a reality as soon as feasibly possible.

“One of the biggest issues facing many businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire is having access to suitable talent pools so that they can take on more work – and having quicker and efficient transport infrastructure in place would help to widen that talent pool considerably to areas such as Leicester and Nottingham.

“This issue is underlined by the fact that only three per cent of journeys from Coventry to Leicester are taken by rail – and this needs to change.

“These proposals also create a fantastic opportunity for tourism and hospitality businesses across the three cities – as it would be completely possible for families to visit one city in the morning and another in the afternoon.

“As a region we are incredibly fortunate with our central location and we need to be maximising the potential of this – and this direct rail link is a major step towards that.”

A Strategic Outline Business Case of the plans have been submitted to the Department for Transport for consideration.

For more information about the plans visit www.midlandsconnect.uk

“One of the biggest issues facing many businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire is having access to suitable talent pools so that they can take on more work – and having quicker and efficient transport infrastructure in place would help to widen that talent pool considerably to areas such as Leicester and Nottingham.