Birmingham Chamber of Commerce to host pro-HS2 conference

A conference outlining the possible benefits of the planned high speed rail link is being planned by business leaders.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, in association with Birmingham Airport, is co-ordinating the event on May 20. It will be staged at the chamber headquarters in Harborne Road, Birmingham.

Guest speakers at the conference, entitled How High Speed Rail can Maximise Regional Potential Through Better Transport Connections, include Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, CBI director general John Cridland and HS2 chief executive Alison Munro.

Organisers said the event will focus on how HS2 will connect to the UK’s international gateways and existing road and rail networks, looking at how this can be achieved and the benefits such connections will provide.

“High Speed Rail has the potential to provide economic benefits to the UK far wider than simply between London and the Midlands.

By utilising connections with the existing transport network, integrating with other transport modes and freeing up capacity, the benefits for the regions can be maximised,” a spokesman said.