Transport Secretary visits Midlands
Patrick McLoughlin views improvements at East Midlands Airport and Kenilworth train station.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin today (23 February 2015) visited the East Midlands to see how transport investments are helping to boost the economy.
He first visited East Midlands Airport, the second largest air freight airport in the UK, to mark the airport’s record-breaking cargo figures.
Last year saw the airport move nearly 310,000 tonnes of cargo – the most in the airport’s 49 year history and 3.6% more than in 2013.
Mr McLoughlin also visited the operations hub of delivery company DHL, which is investing £90 million in improvements to their facility at East Midlands Airport.
Later, the Transport Secretary travelled to Kenilworth to mark the start of work on a new £12.1 million station for the town.
The new station, which has been made possible with £4.9 million of funding from the Department for Transport, will transform travel for passengers in Warwickshire, providing new and direct links to Leamington Spa and Coventry.
The station will help to attract tourists and retail customers to the town and boost economic growth for the area.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
Investing in transport infrastructure is a vital part of this government’s long term economic plan.
The Midlands are crucial to this country’s prosperity and I welcome the record breaking figures for East Midlands Airport – this is a real achievement.
The government’s investment in our railways means that there will be a new railway station at Kenilworth which will give a huge boost to economic growth across the region.
Patrick McLoughlin MP and Jeremy Wright QC MP in Kenilworth.
Kenilworth has not been served by a station since 1965, when the original station at Priory Road closed down. Work to start to clear the site for the new station has started, with full construction due to begin early next year.
The new station which will feature 2 platforms, a footbridge with accessible lifts, ticket office and a 90-space car park.
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