Midlands Connect has submitted plans to the UK Government that would bring about a £2 billion programme of investment to the regions’ rail network.

The outline proposals will support an additional £649 million of economic growth per annum and enable 1.6m more people to access the Midlands’ largest towns and cities within an hour.

Rail usage in the region has hit record levels, with growth in the West Midlands achieving 121% and 37% in the East Midlands. Major investment is essential to ensure the network can keep pace with demand and remain fit for purpose for the next generation.

Under the strategy, direct services between Coventry, Leicester & Nottingham will be reopened, with 2 services per hour in both directions, and additional services will be introduced between Birmingham-Leicester and Birmingham-Derby – bringing the East and West Midlands much closer together.

With capacity at Birmingham New Street (Grand Central) at its peak, Birmingham Moor Street will be expanded to support 20 extra services per hour and a new line will be opened on the Camp Hill Line, between Kings Norton-Birmingham Moor Street, via Hazelwell, Kings Heath & Moseley. Both initiatives will make it quicker and easier to get into Birmingham city centre where new employment is being created at Paradise Circus and Arena Central.

As mentioned in our blog – infrastructure: the chosen route to economic success – setting out a long-term infrastructure vision will provide developers with confidence that their projects will be sustainable and financially viable. Importantly, it will help unlock the much-needed housing developments across the region, contribute towards tackling the housing shortage and boost the economy.

At M. Lambe Construction, we have been supporting the Midlands’ growth and development for over 35-years.

• In Cofton Hackett, Birmingham, we are helping St Modwen deliver a vibrant and sustainable new housing scheme, as part of the multi-million-pound regeneration of the former MG Rover site. Our works, include: construction of 185 foundation bases, new roads and sewers, and landscaping.
• In Derbyshire, we are working for Miller Homes and Redrow Homes on an exciting new residential scheme, constructing foundations for 243 new homes, on-site infrastructure works and an extensive upgrade to the existing highways, comprising of new roundabouts and road junctions.

So, if you’d like to work with a civil engineering and groundworks specialist who has been supporting the region’s growth for over 35 years, click here and send us your details or call us on 0121 554 2108 to talk with one of our experts.