Yorkshire chamber backs high speed rail for north

The Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has today backed the controversial proposals for a £32bn high speed rail network. Today marks the final day of the government's consultation into the proposed first link between London and Birmingham. Further links to Leeds and Manchester are proposed. The Chamber's report to the consultation argues HS2 will deliver £44 billion in net benefits to the UK's economy. Their submission says: * Without continuing investment into the rail network people's ability to do business will be reduced; as many north-south lines, including the East Coast, West Coast and Midland Main Lines, are already operating at close to capacity and HS2 offers an economically beneficial solution to this issue. * The line would significantly help rebalance the national economy through improved connectivity between the regional English cities and the north and south. In effect, the proposed eastern leg would help create a single economic zone encompassing the Leeds and Sheffield City Regions and East Midlands, which would have a combined population of 6.7 million and three million jobs. * It is of fundamental importance to continue to invest in improving the performance of existing rail lines to London, which will continue to of benefit to places like Northallerton and York. Ian Williams, director of policy and business representation at Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber, said: "HS2 will deliver both growth and jobs to Yorkshire. It is a key driver of regeneration when combined with appropriate economic development policies and has the potential to transform the nature of the national economy by rebalancing the strength of the northern regions. "The Yes to High Speed Rail campaign has made great strides in the past few weeks in demonstrating the economic and social case for HSR and dispelling the myths set out by the anti-HSR lobby in the south. There is overwhelming support for the 'Y' network amongst the Yorkshire business community and I am optimistic that we will be successful in making HS2 a key part of the region's and the UK's future economic success." Critics of the scheme have labelled HS2 ' an expensive white elephant '