Transport Secretary visited a major infrastructure investment project in Birmingham
22 Apr 2014 02:57 PM
Transport Secretary Patrick
McLoughlin visited Birmingham New Street today (22 April 2014) to see progress
on a £600 million project to transform it into one of the country’s
flagship rail stations and help highlight more than 200 more infrastructure
projects due to start this year.
The Transport Secretary was
given a tour of redevelopment works, which include a new concourse, a giant
atrium and better access.
The scheme is part of the
largest national railway spending programme since Victorian times, with
£38 billion of funding across the rail network to make major improvements
for passengers and provide a significant boost to the economy.
Patrick McLoughlin was one of a
number of cabinet ministers highlighting the importance of energy, rail,
broadband, road and flood defences across the country as part of the
government’s long-term economic plan.
Patrick McLoughlin
said:
A key part of this
government’s long term economic plan is investing in world class
infrastructure. That is why we are putting record amounts of government funding
into our railways over the next 5 years.
Projects like the one I have
seen in Birmingham today (22 April 2014) show how determined we are to
transform the transport network for the future and get the country back up to
speed.
The New Street redevelopment
will see a new concourse built which is 3 and a half times bigger than at
present. For the first time, natural light will be provided in the station
through a giant atrium and better access will be provided as a result of over
30 new escalators and lifts.
There will be new connections
across the city centre, including a direct link with the Midland Metro
extension which will open in 2015, new entrances and a new station
façade that will create a new landmark building in the heart of
Birmingham.
Signalling through Birmingham
New Street will also to help provide a more reliable service.
The project is part of over
£5.5 billion of maintenance and investment work being carried out the
London north western route, which will have a real impact on the lives of
passengers in the West Midlands, as well as boosting the local and national
economy.
The West Midlands scheme is part
of a major modernisation of the rail network, backed by record levels of
investment and spending. This will make room for an extra 140,000 commuters
coming into 10 of our biggest cities by 2020.
This is just one element of a
bold programme of government investment to help drive economic growth. It is
estimated that in 2014 to 2015 there will be over £14 billion of public
and private investment in transport infrastructure.
Other investment
includes:
- a tripling of spending on major
roads projects between now and 2020
- £16 billion of investment
over the next Parliament to deliver HS2, which will redraw the economic
geography of Great Britain, linking 8 out of 10 of our largest cities and
bringing two thirds of the population of northern England within 2 hours of
London
- more than £1 billion to
support local transport projects
- a further £5 billion to
enable the long-term planning of local transport priorities as determined by
local authorities, not Parliament