Union backs London’s and four northern mayors plea to Sunak over HS2

Picture of Roger Smith

Share:

Union backs London’s and four northern mayors plea to Sunak over HS2

Share:

Picture of Roger Smith

Share:

HS2 generic
Computer-generated visuals of a high speed train. HS2. // Credit: HS2

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), which is the rail union for staff directly employed by the High-Speed Line project HS2, has welcomed a letter that has been signed by Labour leaders calling for the government to deliver HS2 in its entirety.

A meeting is being held today, Thursday, 28 September, in by the cross-party group Transport for the North at which London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been invited to speak. This is set to the first and apparent ‘show of force’ following recent reports that the government could be planning to delay or discontinue building the northern leg of HS2.

Before the meeting, Sadiq Khan met four other Labour Mayors – ‘s Andy Burnham, West Yorkshire’s Tracy Brabin, City’s Steve Rotheram, and ‘s Oliver Coppard. They came together to jointly issue a plea to Rishi Sunak that he should not further derail the high-speed line.

HS2 Streethay bridge under South Staffordshire railway line
The new Streethay bridge for HS2 which runs under neath a South Staffordshire railway line // Credit: HS2

At the same time, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, has also written to Rishi Sunak today about the uncertainty surrounding the project.

First pier complete at Water Orton Viaduct
First pier complete for the Water Orton Viaduct on HS2 // Credit: HS2

Commenting, TSSA Interim General Secretary Peter Pendle said, “As the only rail union for staff directly employed by HS2, we’ve been deeply troubled to see the project – and all the vital it will bring – hanging in the balance.

“We welcome Mayors from up and down the country coming together to show that abandoning this project would be ludicrous and means leaving Britain behind in the dust with a creaking transport system.

“We need the government to stop dithering and fully commit to HS2, for the sake of the British economy at the local, regional and national levels.”

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles