Today Chambers from the South East of England met with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Rail Minister Paul Maynard to discuss the ongoing rail disruption.
BCC comments on high-speed rail announcement
Commenting on the Prime Minister's announcement that the government will fund a high-speed rail link between Leeds and Manchester, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
"Chambers have campaigned for decades for better rail connections across the North of England – and transforming the link between Leeds and Manchester is a crucial piece of the jigsaw.
“The Prime Minister and his team must work swiftly to turn this positive pledge into a reality.
“A new Leeds-Manchester link must go hand-in-hand with the construction and completion of HS2. Both are needed to unclog the arteries of Britain’s overstretched railways and unlock economic growth.
“As the Prime Minister recognised, a new east-west route across the North will take time – so it is absolutely vital that the government proceed with upgrades to the TransPennine route and local services. Short-term relief is still needed for commuters and businesses.”