East Midlands and Yorkshire cities attract support from Glasgow and Edinburgh for route change

HS2 could be heading east as a new report highlighting the benefits of extending the proposed eastern leg to Scotland has received the backing of Edinburgh and Glasgow council leaders.

A group of cities on the proposed eastern leg of the route, which runs from Birmingham through the East Midlands and Sheffield to Leeds, have produced a report which claims it will provide an economic boost of 拢604m each year.

Calling themselves 鈥楬S2 East鈥�, the cities have argued full delivery of the eastern leg with a link to the East Coast Main Line would help 鈥渇ree up capacity across the network, boosting regional rail connectivity and supporting the economies of all communities.鈥�

The cities also said linking high speed services to an upgraded East Cost Main Line would also bring an economic uplift of 拢717m a year, of which 拢500m would be outside London and to a 鈥渃ombined cross-border population鈥� of 15 million people.

The report also has the support of Leeds-based consultant Turner & Townsend.

Managing director for infrastructure at T&T, Patricia Moore, said the eastern leg would be 鈥渁 gamechanger for Britain, allowing growth from investment to fuel our economies and drive business forward.鈥�

The government has yet to decide whether to extend the high-speed rail line to Scotland through either the north east or the north west of England.

But a source close to HS2 said backing from Glasgow and Edinburgh could be 鈥渜uite a coup鈥� in terms of building political support ahead of a government decision.

The source said: 鈥淩eading between the lines, it looks like the first steps in a push for the eventual route to Scotland to be via the east instead of the west.鈥�

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