80% of the Uk within four hours by road puts the Midlands engine at the heart of the growing e-retail logistics boom. Trains, planes and automobiles focused the launch of Midlands Connect in Derbyshire sunshine at the Derby roundhouse Oct 22 to a full house of govt and transport.

Minster Robert Goodwill,

today we start planning for 2020 and 2030.

D2N2 LEP chair Peter Richardson,

This is about East and west Midlands coming together.

Sec of State for transport, Patrick McLoughlin,

Midlands Connect has already made great steps towards getting the Midlands Engine for Growth in motion. This is a fantastic opportunity and I look forward to working with you all.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill,

The derby Roundhouse built in 1859 is where locos were turned around and sent all over the country. I am here to launch Midlands Connect and like those locos send this message across the UK. St Pancras was built to showcase the Midlands, a gateway from London, the Midlands agency will be a skills economy, five million over two years, this is a strategic project, HS2 needs to work for the whole of the Midlands, we have signed up with the LEPs to provide growth engines. Today we start planning for 2020 and 2030.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill

David Higgins HS2 Chairman took the stage,

As London becomes unaffordable for both people & business HS2 will open up the Midlands.

Peter Richardson D2N2 chair spoke with passion,

11 LEPs coming together, we are a partnership to raise the voice for key infrastructure projects. No one LEP can deliver alone. This is about East and West Midlands coming together.

Cllr Anne Weston spoke of Derby College delivering on transport,

we can generate economic growth here.

Andrew Pritchard & Maria Machancoses detailed the operations so far….

The Midlands Connect Programme has received a real boost from the government with Five million allocated by DFT for 2015/17,

The Midlands is worth 178 billion a year to UK PLC, it holds 1/3 of all manufacturing jobs, 80% of the UK is within four hours by road, there are 20 Universities and East Midlands is the second largest freight airport in the UK.

Midland Connect - Headline aims

To help develop the vision and strategy for transforming transport connectivity across the region in order to drive economic growth. To set out a credible long term transport investment strategy to support the building of the Midlands Engine for Growth.