Plans to connect Leicester and Coventry by rail hailed by local leaders

A report by Midlands Connect claims journey times between the cities could be cut from 54 to 38 minutes.

It comes just weeks before the expected publication of the Integrated Rail Plan, which will set the agenda for the next thirty years of rail travel and outline Government spending in the Midlands and North.

The plans include the introduction of two new trains each hour, also calling at Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway, made possible by a new dive under at Nuneaton, creating space for these services to pass through the area, alongside plans to improve line speed along the route, making journeys faster.

At present, passengers have to change at Nuneaton. The report claims that because of the change just 3% of trips between Coventry and Leicester are made by rail, compared to 30% of trips between Coventry and Birmingham.

Costs are likely to be in the region of £90-£100million, but the first trains could run as soon as 2025, bringing benefits of over £170million to the local economy.

Sir Peter Soulsby, Leicester City Mayor, said:

“I can’t think of two UK cities other than Coventry and Leicester, that are as close, yet so appallingly connected by rail. At the moment it can take up to an hour and twenty minutes to travel less than 25 miles, and passengers have to change trains half-way – it’s simply not good enough. Given this, it’s no wonder that 97 per cent of trips on this route are made by road. By reintroducing faster, direct connections we can encourage more people to travel sustainably, strengthen working relationships and increase productivity. We must now move ahead to create detailed plans for delivery, with the support of Government.”

Cllr George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council, said:

“There’s no other way of looking at it – here we have a missing link, a really important link between the east and the west Midlands, and this is our opportunity to reforge it. These plans will open up Coventry, its jobs, leisure destinations and universities to communities across the East Midlands and vice versa. At the moment the Midlands’ east – west rail connections are sub-standard, holding us back from a more productive and sustainable future. Turning these plans into reality is an essential step in boosting prosperity and public transport use across our region – let’s get on with it.”