THE case for a high speed rail link from London to the North West was pressed by Bolton West MP Julie Hilling when she spoke at a Labour party conference fringe event.

Ms Hilling, speaking as the chairman of Rail in the North group of MPs, stated businesses in the North would benefit from the new High Speed 2 line, as would families travelling to London.

The MP pointed to a recent meeting with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, who are backing HS2.

The Chamber told Ms Hilling that businesses were put off from moving to the North West because they would not be able to conduct face-to-face meetings with clients in London.

Ms Hilling said: “This is about the economy of geography in the UK in years to come. The North West needs to be at the forefront.

“We need to free up our train lines and increase capacity for train services.”

The Bolton West MP has made transport one of her main causes in her first year in Parliament.

In a speech to the Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle turned the focus towards buses.

She labelled the Transport Minister Norman Baker as the “Dr Beeching” of the buses.

Ms Eagle criticised the coalition’s plans to axe reduced coach fares for pensioners and the disabled.

She told delegates the scrapping of the scheme would cause “misery and isolation” this Christmas.

She said: “Who has been in the driving seats of these cuts?

“Liberal Democrat Transport Minister Norman Baker, fast becoming a modern day Beeching for the buses.”

She added Britain’s railways were “not fit for purpose”.