OVERVIEW

Keynote Speaker: Lord Adonis, Chair, National Infrastructure Commission

National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) chair Lord Adonis has called on the Government to accelerate a radical new plan to start delivering key stages of national rail and road infrastructure for the North while working up details of the long-term infrastructure plan for the region.

In a new report, High Speed North, he recommends immediate investment, kick-starting the HS3 network by developing a two-part plan for the Trans-Pennine rail route.

This would start with Network Rail, in conjunction with TfN and DfT, preparing plans to upgrade the rail network between Manchester and Leeds by the end of 2017, with a view to raising capacity by 2022.

His accelerated plan for the North also urges Highways England to bring forward urgent improvements to the M62 between Liverpool and Manchester and between Manchester and Leeds.

Meanwhile, the next big infrastructure project in London – Crossrail 2 – has been given the green light. There will be £80million to fund the development of these plans, and the Government will ask Transport for London to match that contribution with the aim of introducing a Crossrail 2 Bill in this Parliament.

We are delighted to announce that Lord Adonis will deliver the keynote address at this Summit and update us on his first report to government.