Midlands Connect

Description

What is Midlands Connect?

Midlands Connect is the region’s Sub-national Transport Body, a partnership that researches, develops and recommends transport projects that will create a fairer, greener and stronger Midlands.

Midlands Connect has a vision for a Midlands, one where residents can easily access the things they need to thrive; whether this be work, education, services or leisure. Its vision also ensures that businesses are able to thrive and reach their full potential, utilising reliable and sustainable transport links to import and export goods.

Funded by the Department for Transport, Midlands Connect acts as one voice for the region and recommend transport projects that will deliver the greatest social, environmental and economic impact to the Midlands.

Midlands Connect do this by bringing together their partners to speak with one voice to promote investment priorities. Partners include Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce and delivery bodies including HS2, Network Rail and Highways England.

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Our rail programme

Midlands Connect’s work covers a broad range of transport infrastructure projects including road improvements, increasing the roll-out of EV charge points and enhancing rural connectivity. One of its main priorities is enhancing rail services.

Midlands Connect’s rail programme is called Midlands Engine Rail and is made up of seven major projects that will transform the railway travel across Midlands.

The biggest of these projects is Midlands Rail Hub, a package of improvements that will reduce journey times, add more seats onto the railway each year and improve East – West connectivity. It has been designed to connect seamlessly with HS2 and will also and create space for 1 million more lorries worth of cargo to be moved by rail each year.

Midlands Connect is also investigating how rail can be better linked with local public transport such as buses and trams in order to encourage residents to utilise railways. Over 80% of the population in the Midlands already live within 5km of a railway station, but less than 3% of journeys starting or ending in the Midlands are undertaken by rail. By understanding the barriers to railway transport, Midlands Connect can help create solutions that will encourage residents back onto the railway network.