Sector Focus
Business Travel Transport hub handed £9.27m design boost
Futuristic: How Solihull’s new HS2 station will look
Plans to transform Birmingham International Station into a fully integrated transport exchange – linked to the new HS2 Interchange Station in Solihull – have been given a major boost after £9.27m was secured to progress the design. The Urban Growth Company
(UGC) – set up by Solihull Council to maximise the benefits of HS2’s arrival – secured the devolution deal funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) at its investment board meeting. The funding will allow the UGC
to appoint consultants to progress the technical design of the station, and design and build contractors to undertake the physical delivery of the project. The UGC’s plan is to transform
the existing station into a multi- modal transport exchange bringing together existing rail, future high speed rail, air, trams, buses, rapid
Extra flight to Amritsar
Air India has increased the frequency of its non-stop service from Birmingham to Amritsar from twice weekly to three times a week. The additional service is
scheduled for Saturday evenings, arriving into Birmingham at 6.15pm and departing for Amritsar at 7.45pm. This means the service now operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Amritsar allows direct access
to the major commercial and cultural centre in the heart of the Punjab and it is home to the Golden Temple. Air India has been a
successful partner of Birmingham Airport after launching a Delhi flight in 2013. Tom Screen, acting aviation
director at Birmingham Airport, said: “Amritsar was a new route which Air India launched from Birmingham in February this year. “No other UK airport
currently operates a direct service to this destination and so we expected it to be popular. “With over 200,000 British-
Indian people travelling to India each year to visit friends and relatives, and for tourism and business interests, this additional flight shows the large demand within the region for direct Amritsar services from the Midlands.”
58 CHAMBERLINK June 2018
transit, private vehicles, taxis, bicycles and an automated people mover, through seamless connections to Birmingham Airport and the HS2 Interchange Station. The plans form a major part of
the ambitions for the UK Central Hub which is the area of land in Solihull near the M42 comprising Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Business Park and Arden Cross, which will be home to the HS2 Interchange Station from 2026. The UGC predicts The Hub has
the potential to create up to 77,500 new jobs, 775,000 sq m of commercial space, 4,000 new homes and £4.1bn GVA each year. UGC chairman Nick Brown said:
“This project is strategically important because of its role in unlocking major growth and development, as well as improving accessibility and connectivity.”
Jaguar I-PACE to join major electric fleet at Heathrow
The new Jaguar I-PACE will form the heart of an all-new zero- emissions luxury chauffeur service to and from Heathrow Airport. As many as 200 I-PACEs will be
available at Heathrow as part of a deal with WeKnowGroup, creating one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the UK. The zero emissions chauffeur
service will begin running in summer 2018 with the delivery of 50 I-PACE vehicles, along with the option to add a further 150.
‘The Jaguar I-PACE is utterly revolutionary – a desirable, luxurious and state-of-the-art electric vehicle that’s practical for genuine everyday use’
Having been designed from the
ground up as a pure electric vehicle, the I-PACE has a compact footprint but spacious interior, with seating for five people and their luggage. Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover
UK MD, said: “What we have created in the Jaguar I-PACE is utterly revolutionary – a desirable, luxurious and state-of-the-art electric vehicle that’s practical for genuine everyday use, including the tough life of an airport luxury chauffeur car.”
Luxury travel: Jaguar’s I-PACE
“We have had huge interest and
positivity from our customers worldwide. We’re also delighted that this endorsement extends to some of the biggest corporations on the planet. “Through our partnership with
Waymo and this latest deal with Heathrow and WeKnowGroup, we’re excited to be bringing the electric future to more people than ever before.” The I-PACE is already compliant
with London’s January 2020 ‘zero emissions-capable’ requirements for private hire vehicles. With an efficient electric motor
and fewer moving parts than a traditional combustion-engined car, I-PACE also brings significantly
reduced running costs. Emma Gilthorpe, executive
director at Heathrow Airport, said: “We are thrilled to be working with two British companies on this landmark initiative to support more sustainable transportation choices for our passengers. “Our commitments to the
environment and our local community are absolutely non- negotiable – we are determined to address the impact road vehicles have on our neighbours and to improve air quality on our roads. “These Jaguar I-PACEs are the
latest in a long line of initiatives we are taking to ensure that expansion is not a choice between the economy and the environment.”
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