HS2 move is rail blow for region
Scrapping northern link to Leeds will harmWest Midlands, says city leader
The decision to scrap the eastern leg is a huge missed opportunity for the UK economy Birmingham City Council Leader Ian Ward
TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps’ announcement that he is scrapping part of the planned HS2 high speed rail line has been condemned by the leader of Birmingham City Council.
Councillor Ian Ward said: “The confirmation that the Government has decided to scrap the eastern leg of HS2 isn’t just a blow for the East Midlands and the north, it is a blow for the people and communities of Birmingham and the West Midlands.”
Mr Shapps has finally published the Government’s long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan, which sets out proposals to spend £96 billion upgrading rail services across England.
He said that the HS2 high speed line, already due to run between London, Birmingham and Crewe, will be extended to the East Midlands and to Manchester, as expected.
There will be direct services between central Birmingham and the city centres of Nottingham and
Derby. However, plans to extend the line to Sheffield and Leeds have been scrapped. This also puts an end to plans for trains to run to Durham, Darlington and Newcastle, as they were due to switch to conventional track north of Leeds.
It would have meant significantly faster journeys directly from Birmingham to Yorkshire and the North East. The Government’s own report shows how the new plans mean some journeys will take significantly longer than under the original proposals,
although journeys will still be faster than today.
Many supporters of HS2, including Cllr Ward, argued that linking together the major cities of the Midlands and the North would help grow the economy in the whole of the country.
And responding to last week’s announcement, he said: “HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to genuinely level-up the UK economy and here in Birmingham we want to be at the very heart of the network that would connect us to eight of the ten largest cities in the UK, allowing our businesses to access new domestic and international markets.
“HS2 will still mean jobs and opportunities for the people of Birmingham and we will work with partners to ensure that our communities reap the rewards. But the Government’s decision to scrap the eastern leg represents a huge missed opportunity – not just for our cities and regions but for the UK economy.”
The Government’s own report shows how the new plans mean some journeys will take significantly longer than under the original proposals.
Birmingham MP Liam Byrne (Lab Hodge Hill) also condemned the announcement. He said on Twitter: “The ‘plan’ destroys the promises of a High Speed Network with Birmingham at its heart. Don’t sell Brum short.”
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the plans.
He said: “Levelling up has to be for everyone, not just the biggest cities. That’s why we will transform transport links between our biggest cities and smaller towns, ensuring we improve both long-distance and vital local services and enabling people to move more freely across the country wherever they are.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Our plan is ambitious, deliverable and backed by the largest single government investment ever made in our rail network. It will deliver punctual, frequent and reliable journeys for everyone, wherever they live.”