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Countries that don’t invest in infrastructure are still locked in poverty…


I felt that it truly added to Birmingham’s and the wider Midlands’ connectivity not only to London but to the world. However, since the scheme was


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proposed under the Labour Government at the time of the financial crisis (Brexit was not yet conceived) and although the outlook then was pretty bleak, the building of a new railroad to complement the existing railway and motorways looked like a shot in the arm that Birmingham needed. The tower cranes became many


and the local transport became a key enabler to ensure that road, rail and air were linked in such a way that allowed connectivity to the UK and beyond. There is real evidence that


connectivity drives economies and a great economy, where people have purposeful jobs and standards of living, often leads to a greater well-being for communities. The value of connections was


shown recently in a report by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), which indicated that the highest value of trading links for GBCC region companies was driven


s some of you may know, I have long been a supporter of the HS2 scheme because


Are the key reviewers of HS2 Postcard from Bahrain October 2019


Paul Kehoe, immediate past president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, is now chief executive of Gulf Air, based in Bahrain. In his latest Postcard from Bahrain, the former chief executive of Birmingham Airport reflects on why Birmingham needs the shot in the arm that HS2 will bring.


‘As the sixth largest economy, we deserve an infrastructure in place that delivers for all our communities from the strategic to the local’


in part by the air connectivity afforded by the direct flights out of the region’s air hub. This should come as no surprise


– it’s the same here in Bahrain; as an island, air connectivity is a formidable driver of the Bahrain economy and the national airline, serving the island’s 1.5 million people, is a true economic air- bridge to key markets. Of course, getting people and


goods to and from key nodes requires great ground transportation. For example, all new airport developments start with a number of prerequisites: the airspace above and the roads and rail on the ground to support development. Now, I am not suggesting for one


minute that HS2 will be the sole key driver of Birmingham’s growth but it is a vital piece of infrastructure around which the planners can start to develop the intra-urban networks to connect to the key inter-urban nodes which will complete the connectivity network picture. There are those who might


say we don’t want to do any of this as the environment is at stake. Global warming is a massive downside of development but it is one that needs to be remedied as we try to raise living standards across the globe. Development, therefore, must be delivered in such a way that maximises the benefits and minimises or controls the downsides. Economic progress in the 21st


Century requires that we do the best we can for our communities – they rely on schools, hospitals and other social benefits driven usually by the tax take from companies and employees who work for that “force for good” – commerce and business. As the sixth largest economy, we


deserve an infrastructure in place that delivers for all our communities from the strategic to the local. We need a system that keeps the UK on the move on the ground and in the air. The organisation that manages


this policy and strategic framework is the Department. for Transport (DfT). However, it should not only


look after the boats, trains, planes and cars but the integration of all those and the most important constituent – the journey itself. In fact the billions of journeys made by consumers and goods. It is strange therefore that the


link connecting Birmingham and its economic hinterland to the world is under review. Why? Simply because the politics are such that the benefit from HS2 is not really felt in the South East but in the Midlands and the North. And, unfortunately, the line must pass through leafy Home Counties’ territory where there is no real economic benefit; save for the fact that travellers using stations south of Rugby might actually get better local rail services and even a seat on their daily commute on the existing network. The South-East is a region where


the spending on public transport outstrips anywhere else in the country as it drives the needs of the current power house of the UK economy – London. We would like some more of that


spend in the Midlands – that’s why the Midland’s Engine, and its Connect partner, was formed to exploit the sort of joined up thinking to maximise the connectivity from one the original UK powerhouses hopefully returning it to a position of strength. Although the progress made in


the Midlands, with its now connected leadership working to a common purpose, has delivered real improvements for sustainable growth. This is built partly on the basis of the prospect of new infrastructure centred on HS2 creating the new economic transport centre of the UK. The other reason that there is


Vital connectivity: Manama in Bahrain


22 CHAMBERLINK October 2019


now a review of HS2 is that we are told its costs are out control and they have risen from £33bn to, possibly, £100bn. If we had known the cost of the original rail system or the motorway network starting


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