Reeves's Midlands Rail Hub announcement a funding 'milestone'
She added: "We really need to celebrate that this government, in these very tight constrained budgets, has decided to continue to support the rail hub."We want support from government not only [in] the development stages but we need to start also talking about securing the capital investment that is required to make this a reality."Midlands Connect said the scheme would provide "faster, better and more frequent" connections, adding 20 million extra seats and creating 13,000 construction jobs.Ms Machancoses said it would be delivered "in the next few years".
The upgrade proposes to deliver six trains per hour through the core of the Cross City Line, with four starting at Lichfield Trent Valley and two at Four Oaks.Labour MP for Lichfield Dave Robertson said the funding news was "absolutely brilliant" for people travelling between Staffordshire and Birmingham.He described how a decrease since the pandemic to just two trains an hour between Lichfield and Birmingham had led to overcrowding and was "stifling... opportunity" for local people."The Midlands Rail Hub would not only bring our trains back but it'll guarantee them. So actually we can be safe and secure in the knowledge that those opportunities will be available for people in the future," he said.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major update on future of iconic high street chain with 281 shops as store closures loom
A MAJOR update has been issued on the future of an iconic high street chain with 281 shops. Claire's, the popular jewellery and accessories chain, is facing mounting financial troubles that could spell disaster for its UK high street stores. 1 The retailer, which has 281 stores across Britain, is scrambling to address a looming £355million debt repayment due in December 2026. Advisers have been hired to look into ways to save the company. Restructuring specialists at Interpath are seeking investors to salvage parts of the UK business, while American advisers are considering bankruptcy protection for the chain's US operations, according to The Telegraph. The appointment of Interpath has sparked fears of widespread store closures and possible withdrawals from some countries as the company tries to cut costs. Globally, Claire's operates over 2,300 stores and is well-known for its ear-piercing services. Claire's UK arm has struggled financially, racking up £25million in losses over the past three years. In the year to March 2024, it reported a £4.7million loss, slightly better than the £5million loss the previous year, with turnover slipping to £137million. The company blames inflation, rising costs, and supply chain issues for its struggles. It has also been hit hard by US tariffs on Chinese imports, as much of its low-cost merchandise comes from China. Claire's was contacted for comment. Why are so many shops going bust? What's happening at Claire's? This isn't the first time Claire's has faced financial difficulties. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US in 2018 in a bid to restructure its debts. It emerged years later under the control of creditors, including hedge funds Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital. The company is also reportedly exploring a sale of its North American and European operations, with bankers searching for potential buyers. However, there's no guarantee a sale will go ahead, and for now, Claire's UK stores remain open and trading as usual. Retail experts say Claire's is struggling to stay relevant in a competitive market. Budget-conscious shoppers now turn to online platforms like for affordable jewellery and accessories. Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: "Claire's low-price offering is clearly not strong enough to win over its core customers – teens and young adults – as they now have access to a vast array of affordable and convenient products online through platforms like Amazon and Temu. "So, with fewer reasons for its customers to visit their stores, the retailer has struggled to stay relevant." Why is the retail sector struggling? The retail sector has struggled in recent years due to the onset of online shopping and lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax and energy costs. Last month, Polish owner Pepco Group sold Poundland to US investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1 after a downturn in trading. The new owners are now asking the court for permission to close 68 stores and negotiate lower rents on others, with up to 82 more stores potentially shutting in the future. Both Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop are also shutting branches as part of restructuring efforts. Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax and energy costs. The Centre for Retail Research has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash. Figures from the Centre also show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Transport Secretary admits she doesn't have ‘expensive' EV – despite trying to convince drivers to make switch
TRANSPORT Secretary Heidi Alexander admits she doesn't have an "expensive" electric car - despite trying to convince drivers to make the switch. The Cabinet Minister highlighted the difficulties of living in a terraced home and not having a driveway to plug in the motor for charging. 1 Her comments come as £700 million could be on the table offering subsidies to lower the upfront costs of purchasing electric vehicles. She told the BBC "I don't have an electric car. But I'm like millions of people in this country, I bought a new car about six years ago. "I'm thinking about the next car I will purchase, and it will definitely be an electric vehicle. I'm not in the habit of changing my car on a yearly basis, expensive as it is." Electric car sales amounted to 47,000 in June but this is still below the mandated level which states 28 per cent of new car sales and 16 per cent of van sales should be zero emission. She also committed to giving £25 million to councils so they could adapt paths between a house and the road for cables to be laid. Ms Alexander said: "We do need to make it easier and cheaper for people to buy an electric vehicle. "So today we're announcing a really big investment, £63 million in charging infrastructure across the country, £25 million for councils so that people like me, who don't have a driveway. "I live in a terrace house, if I had an EV, I'd be asking myself questions about how I would get the electric cable across to the car." Electric car sales amounted to 47,000 in June but this is still below the mandated level which states 28 per cent of new car sales and 16 per cent of van sales should be zero emission. The transition to electric vehicles comes as new petrol or diesel motors should come to an end by 2030. Just five years later, all new motors will have to be electric as part of the drive to meet Net Zero targets by 2050.
Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Dog breeding ‘red tape' opening door to rogue sellers, says Kennel Club
Responsible dog breeders are caught up in red tape which is opening the door to rogue puppy sellers, the Kennel Club has warned. Expensive licences and bureaucracy introduced in recent years are discouraging many small-scale breeders, with the cost of a litter nearly always outstripping the income, the organisation said in a new report. It has created a market void that is being exploited by puppy farmers and rogue sellers who breed for profit without regard for health or welfare, the report added. Research by the organisation has found that more than one in four UK dog owners may have bought their pet unknowingly from a puppy farm. The Kennel Club is now calling for an urgent review of licensing regulations. Holly Conway, its head of public affairs, said: 'As long as the licensing regime continues to operate as it is ... there remains a huge market for irresponsible breeders to profit from.' A 2018 law stipulates that a dog breeding licence is required if someone breeds three or more litters in any 12-month period, and/or breeds dogs and advertises a business of selling dogs. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Kennel Club has revealed that small-scale breeders are being disproportionately affected by the licensing requirement. Two-thirds of licences are being issued to low-volume home breeders, such as those breeding one to two litters a year, rather than commercial, large-scale breeders. And the costs of such licences vary hugely. The report said the system was 'bureaucratic, costly, not applicable to small-scale breeders, and has become a postcode lottery depending on where a breeder resides'. It added that the regulations were not effective in tackling rogue breeders, who do not come forward to their local authority for a licence. 'There are unscrupulous breeders, puppy farmers, and illegal importations, and as long as there remains a market for poorly bred puppies with health and welfare issues, this creates several problems for the responsible home breeding community,' the report went on. The Kennel Club is urging the Government to consider a tiered approach to breeding regulations. It has also called for the implementation of a mentoring programme in which experienced breeders help those planning their first litter, and the introduction of mandatory puppy contracts for all breeders. Ms Conway said: 'There are many reasons that responsible breeders choose to breed, including for the love of the breed and dogs overall, to continue a family line, to protect the population of vulnerable breeds, and to provide good quality and healthy examples of a breed. 'However, we are hearing all too often how these small-scale breeders are unable to continue because of the costs and obstacles involved. 'It is crucial for the long-term health and welfare of dogs that the high demand for puppies is met by responsible, loving, and high-welfare breeders, and we want to explore how these breeders, and others like them, can be encouraged to continue.'
