House Of Commons Transport Committee High Speed Rail On Track Hc 851

The Committee support the strategic case for HS2 and stand by the conclusions as set out in the Committee's report of 2011 (HCP 1185-I, ISBN 9780215038579) that HS2 is needed to provide a long-term increase in the capacity of the railway and that alternative proposals to increase capacity are not sufficient to accommodate long-term forecast demand. Connectivity, which can encourage economic activity and increase productivity, is also part of the justification for HS2, especially for the lines north of Birmingham. Also there is still a strong case for building north to south concurrently with building south to north. The Committee see HS2 as helping to promote economic growth in the UK's major city regions and contribute to a rebalancing of the economy. Local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships must develop economic development strategies to make the most out of HS2 and they must be supported in doing this by central Government. The report sets out 14 conclusions and recommendations.