Chamber welcomes PM support for high speed rail in North

Boris Johnson’s recent announcement in support for Northern Powerhouse Rail is welcome says Gerald Jennings, chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. “This Chamber has long campaigned for improvements to rail across the north of England and the Prime Minister’s announcement is statement of intent that he sees the need to rebalance the UK economy. Poor transport connectivity has been a major barrier to economic growth and our members say to us consistently of the need to improve rail, but also road connections too. NPR will make east – west journeys much easier for commuters connecting our great northern cities including Bradford, York, Sheffield, Liverpool and Hull, not just between Leeds and Manchester. “Whilst the announcement about NPR is welcomed, we need to remember that without HS2 we will not see the maximum benefit. Likewise we must not forget the need to improve our existing rail network. If we can get this working more efficiently then we will see increased labour market access for companies right across the north of England, giving them wider access to talent to help them grow. “The Prime Minister would do well to read the excellent strategy published by Transport for the North, which if instigated in full will bring a £100bn increase in economic benefit to UK plc and 850,000 new jobs to the north.” ENDS For more information contact Mark Goldstone on 0113 247 0000 / 07739 162387 Or email here Notes to editors:

• West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (WNYCC) is the group formed following the merger of Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber and Bradford Chamber in February 2014.
• WNYCC members employ ¼ of the population within West & North Yorkshire
• There are Chamber offices in Leeds, Bradford and York.
• Transport for the North strategy document can be found at https://transportforthenorth.com/onenorth/