Former Coventry City Chairman Geoffrey Robinson and Coventry South MP Jim Cunningham along with City Season ticket holder and City Council leader John Mutton, plus other Council chiefs met Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond on Monday at the House of Commons to put forward the case for funding of the scheme which sees the first phase including a railway station at the Ricoh Arena, a new platform at Coventry Station and a bay platform at Bedworth.
Phase One needs £12m of government funding and a decision is to be announced in January. However, Mr Hammond is being reported by the CT as having advised those who attended the meeting as to possible alternative funding sources, advising them to keep down costs and look at private sector funding.
Mr Cunningham told the CT's Les Reid: "We're still on course for a decision in January. The Transport Secretary indicated that it should not just be about the Ricoh, and we've got to make thr economic case for the region.
"It will help bring 10,000 new jobs with the Friargate office development scheme around Coventry station. It will also help city centre redevelopment. He advised if those private sectors are to benefit, we should ask them for a contribution."