Midlands Connect in D2N2

About Midlands Connect

Midlands Connect is a partnership of Local Authori�es, Local

Enterprise Partnerships, two airports, the Chambers of Commerce,

Highways England, HS2 Ltd, Network Rail and the Department for

Transport.

Our transport network serves several markets, commuters and freight,

visitors and business, local, regional, and na�onal traffic traverses our

roads and rails. For many years the region has been underfunded in

terms of transport development and we need to act now to ensure that

we don’t become a blockage for not just the region – but the whole of

the UK.

Midlands Connect has developed a Strategy which iden�fies transport

connec�vity improvements across the region to resolve key issues and

maximise long-term economic growth in the Midlands.

Two main objec�ves underpin the Strategy:

1. We are speaking together with ‘One Voice’ to ensure the

Midlands reaches a unified posi�on on strategic transport

investment; and

2. All poten�al investments have been reached by an ‘evidenced

approach’ focused on clearly ar�cula�ng the transport needs,

opportuni�es, and investment priori�es for the region. This

technical analysis enables us to shape our priori�es for

investment over the next 15-20 years.

D2N2: Home to…

• Several large employers in the construc�on

sector including Morgan Sindall, Woodhead,

GF Tomlinson and Bowmer and Kirkland.

Produc�vity in terms of the output per worker

is 9% above the UK average

• The Derby/No:ngham hub, which has a very

strong high-tech manufacturing hub with Rolls

Royce, Bombardier and Toyota. Rolls Royce in

Derby alone employees 12,000 people

• Over 200 medical technology firms and makes

up 56% of the total East Midlands medical

technologies cluster, the third largest in the UK

Our Strategy, published in March 2017, includes our

full programme for investment in transport ini�a�ves

and infrastructure to accelerate economic growth and

to improve the quality of journeys for residents, visi-

tors, and businesses in the Midlands and beyond.

Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield

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Growth in the Region

Parts of the D2N2 LEP area is captured in the Derby and No:ngham Strategic Economic Hub and sits on two of the

corridors Midlands Connect have iden�fied likely to experience ‘intensive growth’. These corridors - developed from work

with regional businesses and the LEPs recognised growth sites - connect our economic hubs, both to each other and to

other hubs outside our region. If we improve transport links in these corridors our investment will be doubled in business

growth and returns.

Throughout the Strategy, we stress the importance of improving East-West Connec�vity; by improving both road and rail

links between Birmingham and No:ngham/Derby, and Stoke and Derby we can reduce the journey �me between these

ci�es.

Further to this, Midlands Connect, with the support of Local Authority, LEP and airport partners, as well as the DfT, will

aspire to achieve a step-change in travel speed, reliability, convenience, and cost. Working closely with our partners to

progress the Strategy will ensure the investment in our strategic network runs in tandem with appropriate local

investment, to maximise the benefits.

Key Components of the Midlands Connect

Strategy in D2N2

Exis�ng Commitments

• Midland Mainline upgrade and electrifica�on

• M1 (J19-23a) Smart Motorway

• Newark Northern bypass (A46)

HS2

• Developing plans for HS2 Released Capacity

• Ensuring Access to Toton and East Midlands Airport –

A52 mul� modal study

Early Priori�es

• Improved services between Birmingham and

No:ngham

• Business case development for improvements

between Derby and Stoke

• Midlands Rail Hub

• Major Road Network Development

• Midlands Motorway Hub

• Ac�ve role in technology and smart �cke�ng

• A50 Upgrade - UHoxeter

Longer Term Interven�ons

• A46 – further corridor development

• Further upgrades to A50, A42 and A38

• Further support for access to Felixstowe

• Trials for connected passenger and freight

autonomous vehicles

• Improved direct rail connec�ons from East Midlands

to the Thames Valley

Midlands Connect in D2N2:

Growth and Schemes

Exis�ng Commitments

CommiHed developments include an upgrade to the

Midland Mainline incorpora�ng electrifica�on on the

route. The M1, between junc�ons 19 and 23a is

currently being upgraded to Smart Motorway standard

and the Newark Northern bypass should be completed.

HS2

The implementa�on of HS2 will unlock addi�onal

capacity with the proposed interchange at Toton

located within the region. By 2030, it is an�cipated

that growth in ‘highly sensi�ve’ HS2 sectors will be

captured across the Midlands. As such, it is impera�ve

that such areas are well connected to HS2 to maximise

the economic benefits. Released capacity on the

exis�ng network will also will also impact on this

region.

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Midlands Connect in D2N2:

Schemes, Hubs and Corridors

Early Priori�es

The Rail Hub will enable an addi�onal 10 trains an hour across the Midlands, our immediate work will look at

where these services should serve. Money from the DfT has already been ring-fenced to develop this work.

East West Connec�ons will be at the forefront of plans, looking specifically at connec�ons between Birmingham

and No:ngham/Derby and Derby and Stoke. This include both road and rail within ini�al work to address the A50

junc�ons in UHoxeter.

The Motorway Hub work will look at the resilience of our network and our dependence upon the M42/M5/M6

box. The work will look at the best way to use this network and how to strengthen alterna�ve routes. The A46

route which stretches from Lincolnshire to Gloucestershire is a road which up �ll now has been ignored in its role

as a strategic corridor. By looking at the route in its en�rety, there are tremendous opportuni�es to remove traffic

from the already congested motorway networks.

Longer Term Interven�ons

We have iden�fied longer-term investment priori�es for the LEP region in view of constraints on what can be taken

forward within the industry and, for some, the poten�al scale, complexity, and cost of the interven�ons. Further

work will be undertaken to have direct rail services from the East Midlands to the Thames Valley, as well as

improved access through our region to Felixstowe.

As we look to the future, we must embrace innova�on as we cannot solve the problems of tomorrow with today’s

technology.

Midlands Connect Strategic Economic Hubs and Corridors

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Midlands Connect in D2N2:

Going Forward

The Suppor�ng Evidence

The Midlands Region is worth over £220 billion to the UK economy and is home to several na�onal strengths;

including advanced manufacturing, food technology and freight. The ci�es within the LEP area are home to huge

numbers of professional service industries which are likely to grow by over 38,000 jobs is access between our ci�es is

improved. BeHer access to na�onal and global markets is key and in this area there will be focus on improving access

to HS2 services at Toton and enhancing connec�vity to the Humber ports.

The Strategy is supported by a significant technical evidence base which is available on the website

www.midlandsconnect.uk. We have worked with Highways England, HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to ensure that our

�mescales work in line with theirs and that the we act together to ensure that the Midlands is in a prime posi�on to

boost economic growth.

Next Steps

Midlands Connect has been

awarded £17 million to

con�nue our work from

2017 – 2020. This is a huge

vote of confidence for

Midlands Connect from the

Government, and will allow

us to pursue development

of the interven�ons

iden�fied within the

Strategy. Further details on

this plan will be made

available later in 2017.

Right: Forward Planning

with Highways England,

HS2 Ltd and Network Rail

Contact Details

For any further informa�on

about Midlands Connect please contact the team on mcadmin@midlandsconnect.uk or 0121 214 7023

Key contacts within the D2N2 LEP area include;

Cllr. Anne Western (Derbyshire County Council)

Cllr. Jon Collins (No:ngham City Council)

Mike Ashworth (Derbyshire County Council)

Kevin Sharman (No:nghamshire County Council)

Andy Gibbard (Derby City Council)

Chris Carter (No:ngham City Council)

Andrew Pritchard (East Midlands Council)

David Ralph (D2N2 LEP)

A full suite of documents is

available on our website:

www.midlandsconnect.uk

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