Paul Buchanan recently spoke at the UK Light Rail Conference in Nottingham on the importance of investing in infrastructure in city regions. Paul argued that transport enables economic growth, whilst a lack of transport constrains it and called for greater autonomy for cities in investing their own money in local infrastructure rather than depending on government hand-outs. Devolved decision making would enable better informed decisions, and better policy integration leading to greater success in individual projects and reaping increased returns. Paul also talked of the possible integration between light rail and High Speed Rail links as a way of providing useful connections between some of the more remote HSR stations and city centre locations, allowing for potential development possibilities along the new routes.
Image: 2554 Croydon Tramlink – Waddon Marsh by Train Photos under license CC BY 2.0
