HS2 will bring benefits to the West (and East) Midlands

Christian Wolmar is right about the investment imbalance affecting the English regions ( RAIL 840). What he doesn’t appear to grasp is the actual regional context in what he calls ‘the Midlands’.

The centre of England covers two separate regions - the East and West Midlands. Each is economically distinct.

East Midlanders have justifiable complaints about the Government reneging on electrification for their region, notably on the Midland Main Line. But in concentrating on the East Midlands, he fails to mention the substantial local investment HS2 is unlocking in and around the West Midlands conurbation.

HS2 has promoted a surge of light and (potential) heavy rail investment in and around Birmingham and the Black Country, the heart of the West Midlands urban and shire region.

HS2 is the opposite of “damaging or an irrelevance” here in Brum.

After almost 20 years in the doldrums, Midland Metro expansion has been kick-started by the need to substantially increase local and regional connectivity in readiness for High Speed 2. In time, it will also transform Birmingham’s Curzon Street/Moor Street Station area, and is already prompting major regional investment in rail industry training and skills.

While, from an East Midlands perspective, this investment brings no immediate bonus, the longer-term impact of HS2 should benefit the two regions.

This, however, depends on central government re-creating a strategic body to run the railway, as Wolmar says, plus meaningful devolution of powers to all the English regions.

The current devolution deals, while better than nothing, are a weak and patchy substitute for the joined-up regional development agency (and partnership bodies) that each English region had up to 2010. The risk is that without genuinely devolved political and economic powers, HS2 turns Birmingham and the West Midlands into a London outstation.

While HS2 is much more of an opportunity than a threat, all this assumes the baleful impact of Brexit doesn’t overwhelm even HS2 levels of investment.

The Chancellor’s unexpected generosity to Network Rail for its future spending plans suggests he shares this fear.

But for the moment, here in the West Midlands, with reckless austerity policies still dragging down most other public sector investment, we’re grateful for HS2.