The United Kingdom is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, which means that towns and cities are very close together.
It takes just over 1 hour by train from London to Birmingham, the second largest city and the heart of the Midlands region, which is home to over 10 million people.
The Midlands has got the most integrated rail networks outside of the capital- West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Manchester, 2 hours to Cardiff and 5,5 hours to Edinburgh from Birmingham.
Set at the centre of the UK motorway network, the Midlands is the UK’s leading location for logistics and distribution. The region is linked by the M5, M6, M40 and M42, while the A34 and A38 further add to your options and the M1 is less than 30 minutes away connecting you to the north and south of the country. The region is ideally placed for the distribution of manufactured goods, reaching 92% of the UK population within 4 hours drive.
The Midlands also provides international connections via Birmingham Airport, which handles over 12 million passengers per year, and East Midlands Airport, carrying over 320,000 tonnes of cargo a year.
Connectivity is crucial to the global economy, and the Midlands is the best connected region in the UK. In addition, the new high-speed rail network HS2, Europe’s largest infrastructure project, is transforming the region’s connectivity and economic landscape to make it even more attractive when considering setting up in the UK.