Rail transport is one of Britain’s greatest inventions, emblematic of our country’s innovative might. Yet in recent years, it has become characterised by high ticket prices and crowded services, which I have experienced first hand during my commute to London. Combined with a decade of dithering and delaying over HS2, people have rightly started asking: “What’s the point of investing in rail?”
Case for rail investment has never been clearer
In my view, the case for rail expansion and rejuvenation has never been clearer. Last year, the WM-Air team at the University of Birmingham revealed that air pollution in the West Midlands leads to an additional 2,300 deaths yearly. Economically, if we were to boost rail usage by 40% by 2035, it would add £46bn to the UK economy.
We’re also an ambitious region teeming with innovation and a young population on the rise but held back by poor transport. In simple terms, if we do not grasp the nettle and fix our rail network, we risk future generations’ health and will miss out on major economic benefits.
HS2 – ‘a masterclass in how not to do it’
We have a long list of ambitious projects in the West Midlands to revolutionise our rail network. However, in recent years, quick slogans have replaced credible solutions for fixing our transport problems. Take HS2, for example, which has become a masterclass in how not to manage a public infrastructure project.
The recent announcement by the Government that HS2 will be delayed again will rightly anger many who are already fatigued with the project. I get it. But throwing hope of a better interconnected region to the wind now would be reckless, so I say stick with it.
Camp Hill Line reactivation
I say this because change is slow, but our region is seeing the early benefits of what a proactive pro-rail government can achieve. In my constituency of Birmingham Selly Oak, reopening the Camp Hill line will create a ‘ turn up and go’ service, lowering congestion heading into central Birmingham.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the West Midlands isn’t just Birmingham, and our rail plan reflects this. In the Spending Review, the Chancellor committed to funding the Midlands Rail Hub (MRH) – funding that Laurence Turner (MP for Birmingham Northfield) and I called for back in January. The MRH is a critical project to better connect our region by boosting rail capacity across existing lines and speeding up connectivity at our Birmingham stations. I’m pleased to see the Chancellor backing this project and our region’s limitless potential.
Keep faith in rail
As a nation, we’re facing unprecedented challenges from our NHS to immigration, and fixing the rail may seem a task for a later date, but I disagree. If we get this right, and I’m confident we will, our region’s ambition and potential will be limitless.
