London, UK: Logistics UK has hit out at the government’s decision to scrap the Manchester leg of HS2, arguing that it will damage investor confidence and harm the development of the national logistics network UK.
Logistics UK’s policy director Kate Jennings said: “HS2 was a vital plan to unlock economic growth across the UK – the additional capacity across the rail network which it would have released was critical to expanding rail freight opportunities and enabling a shift from road to rail to cut carbon emissions. Putting high-speed trains on the existing line between Birmingham and Manchester will make today’s rail freight capacity issues even worse.
“Logistics businesses need detailed confirmation that the funding previously ringfenced for the construction of the Birmingham-Manchester stretch of HS2 will be reallocated to upgrading transport links across the UK, including across the north of England and the Midlands. This cancellation is a huge disappointment to businesses keen to reduce their environmental impact and reduce road congestion while still delivering for customers.”
The Road Haulage Association, meanwhile, welcomed Rishi Sunak’s pledge that some funds from the scrapped HS2 Birmingham to Manchester line will be directed to improving roads.
Declan Pang, RHA director of public affairs and policy, England, said: “We welcome the investment into the A1, A2, A5, M6 and A75, alongside more than 70 other road schemes that were announced. Together with increased funding for road maintenance, this will help the commercial vehicle sector continue to keep Britain moving, and we await publication of the timetables for completion of these schemes.”
Julian Worth, spokesperson for CILT Strategic Rail Policy Group said: “The dramatic improvements in connectivity the North and Scotland would have seen cannot be delivered by alternative schemes and their economies will be significantly disadvantaged as a result.
“The rest of the world is forging ahead with construction of high-speed rail lines as the preferred way of improving infrastructure and decarbonising long-distance transport. It does not seem plausible that the current UK government is right to abandon high speed rail and that everyone else has it wrong.”
