Patrick McLoughlin uses his Conservative party conference speech to launch defence of the 拢43bn high-speed rail project
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has used his Conservative party conference speech to launch a defence of the 拢43bn high-speed rail project.
McLoughlin said the line would be an 鈥渆ssential heart bypass for the clogged arteries of our transport system鈥�.
His speech follows continuing controversy over the project and the intervention of Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls last week who said a future Labour government would consider whether funding for the route could be better spent elsewhere.
Mcloughlin said he was listening to critics of the scheme and that he would 鈥渟queeze every penny of economic benefit鈥� out of the line and 鈥渃ut down on costs鈥�.
However he added: 鈥淥ur current rail system is almost full - there just isn鈥檛 the space we need for the future. The truth is we need a new north-south line to make our country stronger.
鈥淚 represent a Derbyshire constituency and I am tired of the moaning from London commentators who are pleased enough about billions of essential investment in Crossrail but can鈥檛 understand why the rest of the country needs great transport too.鈥�
McLoughlin also hailed the hiring of former Olympic Delivery Authority boss Sir David Higgins as chair of HS2 Ltd, the company established to build the rail line.
He said there was 鈥渓iterally no-one better for the job鈥�.
Mcloughlin also defended the coalition鈥檚 track record on infrastructure investment, repeating George Osborne鈥檚 pledge from the summer Spending Review that the government would triple the budget for major road schemes in the course of the next parliament.
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