Secretary of State speech 15 March 2006

Ultraspeed statement regarding the Secretary of State for Transport's speech at the Rail Magazine conference, 15 March 2006

UK Ultraspeed warmly welcomes the speech by Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling yesterday. We welcome his statement that the Department for Transport intend to rigorously examine the merits of constructing new high speed lines in the UK.

As the Secretary of State acknowledges, a new North-South link could not only reduce journey times but also generate billions of pounds of inward investment, provide an attractive, environmentally-sensitive alternative to other forms of transport and act as the catalyst for far-reaching regeneration schemes in areas such as the North East of England and Scotland.

We echo Mr Darling's sentiments that Sir Rod Eddington's upcoming report on the strategic economic importance of transport will be a key input into the analysis.

During his speech, the Secretary of State noted that: "These are all huge questions - and they will present massive challenges in the future." We firmly believe that UK Ultraspeed is the most comprehensive and cost-effective answer to the question of Britain’s strategic transport. We look forward to further discussions with the Department for Transport to ensure that the UK reaps the maximum benefit from the construction of a new high-speed route.