Looking after the NorthWest for our Kids

Very few people seem aware but there is a public consultation going on at the moment regarding the Government's proposed investment in a new High Speed Rail link between London and Birmingham.

The campaign against the link is well co-ordinated, driven by lots of nimbyism from residents of the Chilterns who are worried about the impact of a new train line on their quality of life.

I think the debate hasn't really impacted on Manchester much because we're also all so insular, thinking the line isn't coming to Manchester so it doesn't really affect us. However, that's really short sighted because if the line doesn't get to Birmingham, it sure as hell won't get as far as the NorthWest - and the truth is we really need it.

Traffic on the West Coast Mainline is currently running at near capacity, I think it's due to run out in about 10 years' time. The traffic planners are already having to stop freight traffic on the line because of increased passenger traffic and as we look for greener forms of transport that can't be a good thing.

For Northwest businesses it is going to be critically important - the world gets smaller in many ways because of the type of work we do but there will always be a need for personal, face-to-face interaction to build relationships. We need to be able to travel around the country quickly-  future network gridlock shouldn't be an option.

Unfortunately, the whole thing seems so far away, it could take around 20 years to get built, so I understand why many people simply can't get interested, but timing is actually crucial as the consultation period closes on the 29th of July 2011.  If we're to stand any chance of getting a better rail network serving our region we need to let the government know quickly.

There are a couple of ways you can do this easily:

1. Visit the official consultation website at highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk and complete the simple form - 5 minutes is all it takes; you don't need to leave loads of detail.
   
2. Sign up to the Campaign for High Speed Rail for the north west at www.campaignforhsr.com (this is a more simple petition - simply add your name and address).

Please get involved and lets ensure the NorthWest remains a place where businesses can flourish.