higher speed, higher frequency, higher capacity railway, supported by a better smarter motorway system is long overdue in the north of England. Transforming transportation between the great cities of the north is undeniably necessary. On capacity alone, existing infrastructure will simply fail if it is not drastically improved.
But there is a bigger prize in view: better connections across the north can help fire the local economy and make the region a powerhouse once again. Transport for the North, the new regional transport authority modelled on London’s TfL, must now work with the government to ensure that real change is not just discussed, but delivered.
Improving connectivity will not, however, be enough to create the northern powerhouse. Better transport connectivity is essential, but not the only part of the strategy. Significant improvements in education, workforce training, research and innovation, spatial planning and wider infrastructure investment are also needed.
So it is up to local leaders to take advantage of new powers devolved their way. Rapid improvement in education is possible, as we saw with the London Challenge. Now the northern city regions must develop their own programmes to push local education forward.
The north of England, after all, holds enormous potential. It is home to some of the UK’s largest most vibrant cities. Its universities are world-leading hubs of research and innovation. And its wider city regions have a greater population than London, contributing more than £200bn a year to the British economy. The arrival of high-speed rail has the potential to help fire the region forward. It will act, both directly and indirectly, as a catalyst driving skills and employment.
In the mid-2020s, at the peak of construction, HS2 will employ 25,000 people, supporting up to 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities, with the potential for an additional 400,000 jobs in the wider economy. Given that so much high-speed rail infrastructure will be constructed in the north across the next 15-20 years, the potential for northern regions is enormous. During the rail revolution in the 1800s, opportunity was created in towns and cities across the UK; Manchester and Sheffield quadrupled between 1801 and 1851, Bradford grew eightfold. The arrival of HS3 can be similarly transformative.
High-speed rail will demand a high-skilled workforce – 50% of which is likely to require NVQ level 3 (A-level) qualification or above. Under existing demands the UK is, notoriously, failing to attract and train a sufficient number of engineers. That’s why the creation of two high-speed rail colleges in Birmingham and Doncaster is so important. Together, they will help to ensure that the next generation of engineers are in place to deliver high-speed rail as well as future projects not yet conceived. The colleges will leave a lasting legacy – not just in the north and midlands but nationally, helping to address concerns about future skills shortages.
What’s more, the improvements in connectivity these schemes will deliver have enormous potential to bring benefits to the wider workforce in the north. Building the HS3 network will open up the major cities of the north to each other, easing inter-city commutes, opening up markets, and making the region more attractive to businesses, entrepreneurs and highly-qualified workers. This, in turn, will foster an environment in which more top young graduates remain in the cities of their higher education after their studies are complete.
Ultimately a better connected north will mean a more dynamic region and a stronger UK. The first steps, plans for high-speed rail networks from east to west and north to south are now in place. This is a golden opportunity for the region and the country – we should grab it with both hands.
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