Business News
HS2 development centre opens at Millennium Point
Two British-based global rail giants are opening a new High Speed 2 bid centre in Birmingham to develop their plans to build an iconic train for the project. A team of up to 50 experts from
both companies, including engineers, designers and environmental specialists, has been put together to work up the proposals. Based at Millennium Point in
Birmingham, overlooking the site of the planned Curzon Street HS2 station, they are already developing their concepts for what will be the fastest train ever operated in the UK.
‘One of the main aims of HS2 is to boost regional growth’
Pivotal role: Rebecca Delmore, commercial director, Millennium Point Britain’s bullet train will offer
passengers an unrivalled travel experience as it runs at speeds of up to 360 kp/h on the new link between the West Midlands and London when it opens in 2026. The trains will also be specially
designed to make them ‘classic compatible,’ so that they are able to travel on the current network to serve cities such as York, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The joint bid team is looking at
how best it can support the goals of the Government’s investment in HS2. The development of the major
new train fleet can help to boost regional growth, while delivering the skills and training needed to realise the future export potential of the wider high speed rail sector. The final bid will be submitted
from the new Birmingham centre to HS2 Ltd by February 2019 and the £2.7bn contract to design and build 54 trains is due to be awarded in March 2020. Karen Boswell, managing
director at Hitachi Rail, said: “Apart from creating much needed additional rail capacity, one of the main aims of HS2 is to boost regional growth and help re- balance our economy. “We felt it was important to
reflect this by locating our bid centre in Birmingham, and to further increase Hitachi’s presence across the UK. We aim to build a new British classic train, and our team of experts will be working flat out over the coming months to develop a truly world-class winning bid.”
Richard Hunter, managing
director UK, Bombardier Transportation, said: “The city was the obvious choice for our HS2 bid centre, and it is from here that experts from Bombardier and Hitachi are already developing an iconic train fleet capable of winning the bid for this vital project.” Rebecca Delmore, commercial
director, Millennium Point, said: “The opportunity to host Bombardier Transportation and Hitachi Rail to Millennium Point and support their bid is something we’re really excited to be involved in. Our commitment to invest in and support into STEM developments across the region continues to help open doors for Birmingham, as we welcome major players like Bombardier and Hitachi to our doorstep.”
‘Real’ Living Wage rates to go live
The new “real” Living Wage rates will be announced at a breakfast in Birmingham hosted by KPMG on 5 November. The day marks the beginning
of Living Wage Week across the country and will be attended by leading regional politicians. The Foundation is asking employers to pay a “real” Living Wage of £8.75 an hour across the UK and £10.20 in London. The government’s National Living Wage for over-25s is £7.83 and the minimum wage is £7.38. In a new report commissioned by the Living Wage Foundation,
The Local Living Wage Dividend, the Smith Institute found that if a quarter of all low paid workers in the in the West Midlands were given a pay rise to the real Living Wage 70,000 people would see an average annual pay rise of £1,230, or an extra £24 a week. Paul Faulkner, chief executive
of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “The Chamber were proud to become a Living Wage employer last year as we appreciated the importance and value of such a move. “We do recognise that
businesses can see challenges in
doing the same but hope that our example and experience, which has been really positive, will encourage businesses to speak with the Living Wage Foundation to find out more.” Anyone interested in finding
out more about the Living Wage or becoming a Living Wage Employer, should contact programme manager Lucy Bannister at:
lucy.bannister@
livingwage.org.uk
• National Minimum Wage – are you ready for the taxman? See Legal pages on 66 and 67
Ironbridge Gorge is one of the region’s top tourist attractions
Tourism boom for West Midlands
The West Midlands attracted more international visits in 2017 than ever before, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Tourism is booming, with the
region welcoming a record 2.3 million visits last year – a six per cent increase on 2016, as highlighted by the latest International Passenger Survey (IPS) report. The West Midlands experienced
the second highest growth in international visits of all English regions, behind only the North West. It also secured the highest
proportion of business visits of all UK destinations, with two out of five (39 per cent) visits to the area for this purpose. West Midlands mayor Andy
Street said: “Tourism plays a vital role in the region’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs and delivering inclusive growth. It also helps to showcase the West Midlands internationally to the benefit of our other key sectors.
‘Tourists are recognising the range of world-class gems here’
“The increase in overseas visitors
coming to the region demonstrates its continued appeal to global audiences. “Tourists are recognising the
range of world-class gems here – from our leisure and retail offer, to our diverse cultural attractions and the international sporting events we host every year.” The Republic of Ireland was the
West Midlands’ largest overseas market for tourism (305,284 visits) followed by Poland (234,182), Germany (192,280), France (150,358) and the United States (124,216). A number of projects are
underway around the West Midlands to boost its reputation as a business and tourist destination. These include England’s Waterways, an initiative to inspire international visitors to explore the canal networks and surrounding cultural offer throughout the region.
October 2018 CHAMBERLINK 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
