News from Sheffield Labour

This government is too slow in their high speed rail plans

Sheffield South East MP, Clive Betts, today welcomed the announcement that the Government has decided to proceed with building the ‘Y’ shaped High Speed rail network network.

Clive Betts said: “I’m delighted that the Conservatives have seen sense at last and agreed that the only sensible and viable proposal for the High Speed rail network was the one proposed by the independent HS2 Ltd and supported by the last Labour government.

“It was always clear that the previous Conservative policy – proposing an ‘S’ shaped network – was only being pursued for short-term electoral advantage in the South.

“Nobody in their right mind, from South and West Yorkshire, would have travelled to Manchester to catch a High Speed train. I’m very pleased that every organisation in the region campaigned against that silly proposal.

“HS2’s further analysis demonstrated the vastly superior economic and transport benefits that would flow nationally and regionally from the ‘Y’ network.”

Clive Betts continued: “However, I am very disappointed by the lengthy timescale that is now being proposed for the construction.

“Railways were built across the whole of the United States – using rail track made in Sheffield – in far less time than is now being proposed for HS2.

“This is precisely the sort of project – giving a boost to the beleagured construction industry and to the Yorkshire regional economy – which should be brought forward, not pushed backwards.”

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