'Doing nothing is not an option!' Andy Burnham says Black Country and Staffordshire key to HS2 alternative
The Mayors of the West Midlands and Manchester have pinpointed Staffordshire as key to the replacement of HS2.
Andy Street and Andy Burnham held a joint press conference in Birmingham to outline the progress they have made attracting private investment for an alternative to HS2.
Three options are on the table - improving the West Coast Mainline, building bypasses to the current railway or building a new line.
Andy Street confirmed bypass routes in Staffordshire have already been chosen.
He said: "We have got on the map where the bypasses are needed. It is no secret it is where there are constraints on the line, which is Stafford where the West Coast Mainline goes down to two lines.
"And at the southern end where the original HS2 route continued after Handsacre."
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham believes the Black Country and Staffordshire needs an improvement to its rail network.
He said: "Doing nothing is not an option. The M6 is full, the West Coast Mainline is full.
"It is inconceivable that nothing will be done, at some stage this country will have to come back to this issue.
'The Black Country and Staffordshire need to be better connected to my region, if we don't do anything we will have a century of headaches ahead of us."
He added: "I want this done by the time I'm in my 70s and after meeting private investors today in Birmingham I am confident we will get it done."
The two Mayors claimed the Government were backing their quest to find an alternative for the axed HS2.
Mr Burnham said: "I was devastated after the Government's announcement about axing HS2 and did not think anything could be done.
"But credit to Andy Street and the Government after several meetings I am a lot more positive than before."
The former Labour cabinet member confirmed he had spoken to the shadow transport minister in case his party wins this year's General Election.
He said: "I am in discussions with the shadow transport minister about this. We need to talk to both parties as it is a General Election year."
Asked about the campaigners in Staffordshire who believed they had seen the back of HS2.
He said: "Something will have to be built in this area sooner or later. We want two great great regions to prosper and it will not if its not done, it is for good of the country as a whole not just someone's neighbourhood."
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