Plans submitted for £2bn Midlands rail upgrade

The Government is being asked to back a £2bn package of improvements to transform east-west connections on the Midlands’ rail network.The proposals, known as the Midlands Rail Hub, would see 15 pieces of new and improved infrastructure in the region.Its centrepiece would by a £950m plan to improve links to an expanded Moor Street station with a pedestrian link to the proposed HS2 Curzon Street station.The plan would enable 24 extra passenger trains every hour on the regional network and shift 4,320 lorries’ worth of freight from the road to the railway every day.Subnational transport body Midlands Connect, which submitted the plan in partnership with Network Rail, said key projects could be completed in phases between 2024 and 2033.The proposals to supercharge the economy by bringing the East and West Midlands closer together has backing from 47 partner organisations including West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities, LEPs, chambers of commerce, HS2 and Birmingham and East Midlands airports.Following the submission of the Midlands Rail Hub strategic outline business case to the Department for Transport, Midlands Connect has requested an additional £25m in funding to bring the project to “Outline Business Case” stage.This will involve specific scheme development and sequencing, a full overview of benefits, project designs, and a full risk assessment.