The finished network is expected to generate economic benefits of around £44 billion and the first phase alone will create over 40,000 jobs. The 'Y shaped' network will link London, the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds with stations in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands as well as linking up with existing lines to Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
High Speed Rail would bring Birmingham within 49 minutes of London, and Manchester and Leeds within 80 minutes or less. Birmingham and Manchester would be less than 50 minutes apart and Leeds and Birmingham just over an hour. Travel from London to Scotland's major cities would take around 3 hours 30 minutes. Running 14 or more trains per hour, each with up to 1,100 seats and offering much higher levels of reliability than the existing network, high speed rail could shift as many as 6 million air trips and 9 million road trips a year on to rail.
Commenting Graham said 'High Speed Rail could make a real difference in Cheshire and the plans will lead to a better connected Britain. Countries across the world are already pressing ahead with ambitious plans for high speed rail. We cannot afford to be left behind – investing in high speed rail is vital to the prosperity of future generations.'