North East High Speed Rail Link Pledge
Further coverage of Nick’s speech to the North East Economic Forum in today’s Journal:
THE prospect of a high-speed rail link to the North East took a major step forward last night when a senior Government minister promised to meet train bosses and prepare a detailed business case.
Minister for the North East Nick Brown will work with the head of National Express East Coast to estimate the cost of a route from London to Newcastle.
Mr Brown, who is also Chief Whip, said: “I do not want us to miss what could be a very important aspect of the rail debate for us. I will talk to Susan Goldsmith first, then take that to regional agencies.
“We have to know what we can reasonably ask for, because I can’t go to the Department of Transport with a generalised wish list and a £1bn price tag.”