The SCR Chambers: East Midlands
Regional businesses are getting onboard with HS2
More than 70 East Midlands businesses are on track to take advantage of the country’s biggest investment in national railways since the Victorian era. They were among those attending an HS2
Chamber calls for train electrification
Reports that Midland Main Line electrification will be extended to Market Harborough have been welcomed by the Chamber. The Chamber supports electrification of
the whole line. It has consistently argued that electrifying only the southern end is a false economy. It claims that having a fully electrified railway would mean quicker, quieter, cleaner and lighter trains could operate all the way from London to Sheffield and beyond. Scott Knowles (pictured), Chief Executive
at the Chamber, said: “Extending electrification to Market Harborough makes some sense given that it will be powered from there. “Under the current
plan, though, we’ll have 85 miles of clean, quiet, electrified line, 65 miles of diesel-running and then switch back to electricity for 22 miles north of Alfreton. “Why not electrify the entire line, as
recommended by the Transport Select Committee and originally planned before Transport Secretary Chris Grayling pulled the plug, instead of having to build heavier, twin-engined, bi-mode trains that have to run under slower, dirtier diesel power to serve Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. “Derby, Nottingham and Leicester all
have clean air targets but won’t be getting the help they need from Government to meet them with this latest announcement. “This is a very good example of where
Government is failing the East Midlands. “By the Government’s own figures, we
receive only 60% per head in infrastructure investment compared with the rest of the country. Electrifying the Midland Main Line, as we have been promised, would go some way to redressing the imbalance.”
Supply Chain event in Coalville, Leicestershire, organised by award-winning East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire). The Chamber is working with HS2 Ltd, the
company tasked with building the new railway, to ensure that businesses in the East Midlands can win contracts and opportunities to work on the project. Construction of HS2 Phase One between Birmingham and London is well underway. More than 2,000 businesses and over 7,000 people have worked on the project to date. Hundreds of East Midlands businesses have already won work, and opportunities for local firms to get involved will increase as the project progresses. Businesses of all sizes can win contracts
through the HS2 supply chain and not just those traditionally aligned to the rail industry. Opportunities exist for those involved in archaeology, design, planning and security to name but a few. When construction peaks, HS2
will need an estimated 30,000 people to design and build the full network, which will extend northwards to Manchester and Leeds. The East Midlands HS2
Growth Strategy predicts 74,000 jobs and a £4bn boost to the region’s economy by 2043. The East Midlands Hub station,
Chris Hobson ‘HS2 will be
Corporation (EMDC) has been created to maximise the opportunities around Toton. The Chamber sits on the EMDC. Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at the Chamber, said: “We were very happy with the number of firms that attended the event to learn how to get involved in HS2’s supply chain for the project. “HS2 will be transformational
transformational for our region.
The opportunities are tremendous’
at Toton, will support over 1,500 new jobs and a further 150 skilled positions will be created at the infrastructure maintenance depot planned for Staveley, near Chesterfield. The Prime Minister recently reaffirmed the
Government’s commitment to building Phase Two of HS2 and, following the allocation of £2m from Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, the East Midlands Development
for our region. The opportunities are tremendous, and you don’t have to be one of the big companies to be part of it. We’ve hosted several of these events to make sure local companies know what the opportunities are and how to get
involved.” David Poole, HS2 Ltd Procurement
and Supply Chain Director, said: “We work closely with East Midlands Chamber and
welcomed the opportunity to present at this event. “We have an order book that is waiting to be
filled by companies of all sizes to help build the country’s new railway. HS2 is a once in a lifetime opportunity to rebalance Britain and we look forward to working with more companies in the region as work progresses.”
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