The Government needs to ensure that the benefits of high speed
rail are spread as widely as possible, Business Voice WM has
warned.
The lobby group's comments followed the Government's re-working
of its preferred route for HS2, the high-speed line linking London
with Birmingham and the North of England, which was released on
Monday.
James Watkins, BVWM executive director, said: "The high speed
line would be the biggest civil engineering project the West
Midlands has seen since Spaghetti Junction was opened in 1972.
"If this line is to go ahead it is absolutely essential for
rural businesses to be properly compensated where they are
adversely affected by its construction. And plans must be put in
place for every part of the Midlands to benefit from the
international connectivity it will bring.
"It is also important to hear from the Government at the
earliest possible opportunity how the pending freeing up of
capacity on the West Coast Main Line, as a result of the potential
existence of the high speed network, will improve rail services for
critical stations like Stoke-on-Trent."