HS2 will be good for Halton, predicts council transport chief
● A TRANSPORT chief has said he expects Halton to benefit from the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail upgrade.
Cllr Stan Hill said the faster services could cut London journey times to London by 12 minutes and boost capacity on the West Coast Main Line, while retaining Runcorn’s appeal as a location for connecting trains.
His comments came after the Weekly News contacted him after Liverpool City Region (LCR) metro mayor Steve Rotheram’s declaration that the LCR was ‘finally, truly on the HS2 map’ following the publication of a map showing the rail junctions in Cheshire that will provide links for Runcorn and Liverpool trains with the capital.
The main HS2 route will be via Manchester Airport and Manchester, with a separate route past Ashton-On-Makerfield.
Cllr Hill (transportation) said: “The council keeps proposals for HS2 under close review, and the borough is well placed to offer services connecting into HS2 via ● Crewe and Manchester.
“Runcorn will receive the benefits of increased capacity on the West Coast Main Line, whilst reducing journey times by potentially 12 minutes to London.
“Runcorn station is very busy, serving south Merseyside and north Cheshire.
“The Runcorn Station Quarter project to improve access to the station, an integrated public transport hub, and better passenger facilities will ensure Runcorn remains popular with rail users.
“Lorna Pimlott, director of phase 2 of the HS2, has confirmed that the delivery of the scheme would connect into Crewe and Runcorn would receive the benefits of the increased capacity on the West Coast Main Line.
“In terms of HS3, Liverpool to Hull, she said ‘Liverpool is not included in the Phase 2b hybrid bill, a decision has not been made and won’t be made by HS2 on how the network connects to the city’.
“There are, however, potential opportunities for the borough to benefit from station upgrades or new stations along the various route options that will need to be explored.”