Rail hub represents 'major investment' for region

The Midlands Rail hub will benefit seven million people across the region, according to Midland Connect

A planned rail hub approved by the government represents "a major investment" for the East Midlands, a transport group has said.

The Midlands Rail Hub will allow more than 20 million extra seats for passengers and up to 300 extra trains every day across two "chords" for the east and west of the region, according to Midlands Connect.

Funding was announced last month for the hub by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, but an announcement on Tuesday confirmed money to progress the scheme to the next stage.

Midlands Connect said the scheme would provide "faster, better and more frequent" connections, as well as creating 13,000 construction jobs.

The Department for Transport said the hub "will be the region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme to date".

Reeves previously said the hub would improve connections from Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into Wales, but did not mention the East Midlands.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves presented the government's Spending Review at the House of Commons in June

Maria Machancoses, chief executive of Midlands Connect, told the BBC: "There's a lot of conversations around the Midlands Rail Hub for what it means for the East Midlands.

"It's a major investment. Government is committed to deliver it.

"It is all about creating much more capacities, east-west connections.

"The programme itself will take different steps to delivery, but eventually the idea, the ambition that we all have in mind and what leaders and mayors across the region are working really close together on, is to get this programme on the ground."

Ms Machancoses added that Midlands Connect was now "waiting on a final figure" from the government.

Analysis

By Peter Saull, political editor, BBC East Midlands

At the Spending Review last month, Rachel Reeves announced funding for the "region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme for generations".

The Midlands Rail Hub, she added, would improve connections from Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into Wales.

But she failed to mention links to the East Midlands, even though that was supposed to be one of the project's main benefits.

The day after, on a visit to Derby, Reeves told me she was committed to the scheme across the Midlands.

"The initial work will be in the west - that is necessary before that work starts in the East Midlands," she explained.

Four weeks on, the Department for Transport has announced there is actually money available for both east and west "chords".