• Home
• Blogs
  • Blogs
• Documents

• What We Do
• Future North West (formerly Regional Strategy (RS2010))
• Regional Planning
• Regional Housing
• Regional Transport
• Economic Development
• How We Do It
• Equality & Diversity
• Sustainability
• Europe
• Scrutiny

High Speed Rail study

Posted On 16/06/2010

4NW, working in partnership with GONW, NWDA and Passenger Focus have received the final version of the North West High Speed Rail Study. The report builds on recent work on High Speed Rail by Network Rail and others to explore in greater detail the issues surrounding High Speed Rail.

Transport Consultants Steer Davies Gleave have identified a number of key issues on the subject including:

• To ensure the region realises the economic benefits of High Speed Rail, through the early provision of a link to the Northwest, connections and services serving the region and through further development of the Network beyond Manchester:
• To understand the implications of environmental issues and potential benefits of High Speed Rail, to inform the development of the scheme in terms of the alignment, the modal shift potential (from both air and road), and the location and design of non-city centre stations:
• To ensure that High Speed Rail is developed in a way that delivers benefits beyond the key centres served and in a way that is socially inclusive. The implications for the places served, the quality of connections into High Speed Rail stations, and fares;
• The region will need to develop its position specific  issues, such as the case for different options serving Heathrow, the potential case for a station at Manchester Airport, and a connection between HS1 and HS2:
• To understand the funding context for High Speed Rail, and the potential implications and linkages between funding, fares policy, local / regional contributions, and how this fits with the overall levels of investment in the conventional rail and transport sectors over the next two decades.

The report sets out implications and issues for the northwest in developing ideas around High Speed Rail. The report was produced to inform the Region's expected consultation response on High Speed Rail later in the year, and is now being made available to all partners in the region to inform their thinking on the subject.

The report is available here.