Comment Future is happening now, thanks to HS2
HS2 had offered him an opportunity that wasn’t open to him before, something that would not only provide work for the next few years but could give him the skills to ensure that he could grow and progress in his career in future.
I am absolutely certain there will be more inspiring personal stories that will happen because HS2 is going to create so many new opportunities for local people.
The second, was the publication of the design plans for the West Midlands’ two new high speed train stations – Curzon Street in Birmingham City Centre, and Interchange in Solihull.
Both are incredible structures that will be impressive railway stations of the future – Curzon Street being the first intercity station built in a British city centre since the 19th century.
But more than that, the designs showed just how ambitious we are about ensuring these stations are centres for growth and regeneration that will create opportunities for new homes, public spaces, offices and jobs.
Both events – one big, one personal – highlight the difference HS2 is making. Creating jobs and driving regeneration.
And this is true, not just in Birmingham, but right across the UK.
More than 7,000 jobs are already supporting the delivery of the project.
Around 2,000 businesses have worked with us on making the project real. This includes hundreds of businesses in the West Midlands alone.
These numbers will continue to grow, with 30,000 people working on HS2 at peak construction in around 2023, and many of these will be in the West Midlands.
With the National College for High Speed Rail campus in Birmingham, the city is primed to take advantage of this jobs and skills boom.
Young people just starting out, or people who want to change careers, or those that want to gain the skills to get on in their career, will find opportunity in HS2.
We already have more than 100 apprentices on board, and will see at least 2,000 by the time we are done. We’ll build a legacy of skills that Britain and the West Midlands can export to the rest of the world.
But the real prize for Birmingham is the full high speed network. Work is well under way in extending the network to Manchester and to Leeds.
When complete, HS2 will serve more than 25 stations and nearly half of the UK population from Scotland to the South East.
We will halve the travel times to places like Manchester and Leeds.
The new high speed train fleet will demonstrate a step change in the way we travel. State-of-the-art high speed trains running on our network will see a reliability in train travel unseen in the UK, with trains on a par with the Japanese bullet trains.
The way in which we travel will also be re-set.
It’ll be easier for passengers to get to and from trains, ticketing will be simplified, and we will be leaving behind many passengers’ current frustrations.
We’ll bring cities closer together and we’ll make it easier to travel between them, meaning more ability to share talent, knowledge skills and services. It will be easier to travel for work or leisure.
And with Birmingham at the heart of the network this city and region is perfectly placed to reap the rewards this will bring.
You don’t need to look into the future, however, to see the benefits of what this dramatic increase in connectivity means.
Major businesses are setting up shop in Birmingham, or increasing their presence here.
HSBC, Deutsche Bank, PWC and Barclays are leading the way in seeing the potential in a better connected Birmingham.
A walk through the city shows development happening almost everywhere.
Birmingham is a city transforming; it’s a city booming. The skyline is littered with cranes and construction hoardings are up all across the city with developments.
The coming decade is bright for Birmingham and the West Midlands and I am delighted that the organisation I chair – HS2 – is both part of this and what is making it happen.
You don’t need to look into the future to see the benefits of what this dramatic increase in connectivity means
Sir Terry Morgan is chairman of HS2 Ltd