BENEFITS totalling £400million could come to the region if the direct rail link between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham is reinstated.
Midlands Connect made the case to reinstate the link at a conference at Coventry Transport Museum.
The transport organisation has refreshed the business case for the project which it initially submitted to the government in 2021.
It says the project could create £400million of overall benefits, including almost £150million of wider economic benefits for the region – much higher than originally estimated.
At the event, a new report was launched detailing plans to improve rail connections between the three cities. Currently, just three per cent of journeys between Coventry and Leicester are made by rail, compared to 30 per cent of journeys between Coventry and Birmingham.
Political representatives including Mary Creagh MP, Rachel Taylor MP, Jodie Gosling MP and Sir Peter Soulsby were joined by business leaders such as Corin Crane from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, and Richard Blackmore from the East Midlands Chamber.
The event saw a lively discussion of how this project can support the people and businesses of the Midlands.
Mary Creagh, MP for Coventry East, said: “This project is vital to the future of our three great cities. It would help reduce journey times and create access to work for hundreds of thousands of people.
“I will be pushing hard for this much needed infrastructure investment in our region as part of Labour’s plan for growth.”
Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Coventry and Leicester are the two biggest cities without a direct rail link. This crucial scheme will reconnect them, directly helping travellers and supporting the local economies of Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham.
“With rail lines through Leicester at capacity, hindering the development of both passenger and freight trains, this scheme is urgently needed. By increasing rail freight capacity, the scheme will remove HGVs from the highway network, reducing carbon and improving air quality – which is great news for Leicester.”
Corin Crane said the link could help to put Coventry and Warwickshire companies on track for growth.
He 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.
“Having quicker and efficient transport infrastructure would help to widen Coventry and Warwickshire’s talent pool considerably.
“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.”
Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said: “It was so great to hear support for our project from leaders across the Midlands.
“This scheme is so important, as we move to decarbonise transport, we must make rail the most attractive option possible. Creating direct routes between major centres is the best way to do this.”
The plans will see an increase in services and a reduction in journey times for those travelling between Coventry, Nuneaton, Leicester, and Nottingham by rail.
There will be two faster services from Coventry to Leicester and Nottingham, calling at Hinckley, Leicester, and Loughborough. An additional local service will stop Coventry, Coventry Arena, Bedworth, Bermuda Park and Nuneaton.
Visit www.midlandsconnect.uk for more information about the plans.
