One week to go to have your voice heard on Midlands Connect survey

Businesses in the midlands are being urged to make their voices heard with regards to reconnecting Coventry to Leicester and Nottingham by rail.

Midlands Connect is running a survey – which you can take part in here – with the hopes that the results will support a case for further investment in the route. There’s only one week left to contribute though, so make sure you get your thoughts in by Friday 11th November 2022.  

Midlands Connect released the Building Back Greener report, which outlined the strong case for a direct service between Coventry, Leicester, and Nottingham, reconnecting these three major Midlands cities.

Commenting on the survey, Andy Clark, senior rail programme manager at Midlands Connect, said: “So far, we have had a great number of responses from local businesses on how they think a direct rail link would impact their organisation.

“With one week to go, we are calling on more employers in the area to share their views, and really help us to build a case for reconnecting these fantastic cities.”

Currently, just 3% of journeys between Coventry and Leicester are made by rail, compared to over 30% of journeys from Coventry to Birmingham. Many people avoid the train for this journey, as having to change at Nuneaton means journeys are longer and more prone to delays. Midlands Connect hope that a direct line would allow more people to choose rail over road.

If a direct rail line is built, they believe that it will bring significant economic benefits to the region, estimated to be worth £179 million. Greater connectivity between the three cities could also bring more job opportunities, as well as social and environmental benefits.

Image credit: Network Rail  

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