‘HS2 built in full’
Industry leaders urge prompt approval for the rest of HS2, after Phase 2a to Crewe receives Royal Assent.
INDUSTRY leaders say it is essential that a decision is made soon on HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe-Manchester and West Midlands-Leeds), after the Bill allowing Phase 2a to be built to Crewe received Royal Assent on February 11.
The Third Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons had been passed in July 2019, with 263 MPs voting for and 17 against.
Construction of the 36-mile section is expected to begin in 2024, meaning that Phase 2a will now open at the same time as Phase 1 from London-Birmingham (currently expected in 2029-33). It’s expected to cost £5 billion-£7bn using 2019 prices.
Trains will use the existing Crewe station, although work continues between HS2 Ltd, Cheshire East Council, Network Rail and the Department for Transport on plans for a ‘super hub’ station that is separate to HS2.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the Royal Assent “a landmark moment in our infrastructure revolution”, while HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Thurston said that Phase 2a’s approval showed MPs recognise the huge potential of the new railway.
However, while Transport for the North and Midlands Connect welcomed the decision, both highlighted the need for the remainder of the new railway to be built in its entirety.
“It has been a long time coming, but HS2 has now been approved up to Crewe, which takes us to the doorstep of the North of England,” said TfN Northern Powerhouse Rail Director Tim Wood.
“It is essential now that the North gets certainty on the delivery of Phase 2b in full, on both sides of the Pennines, so that our communities are fully connected to the nation’s high-speed network.”
Phase 2b’s western leg takes the line from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly (via Manchester Airport), while the eastern leg will run from Birmingham through the East Midlands to Leeds (via Toton).
The decision on Phase 2b will be made when Government publishes its delayed Integrated Rail Plan, which is now due by the end of March. This will detail how HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail will be built.
Midlands Connect Director Maria Machancoses believes it’s essential that a decision is made on the scope of Phase 2b, especially the
eastern leg. Doubt has surrounded this section of HS2 since the publication last December of the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment for the Midlands and
the North ( RAIL 921).
“Any further delay will cause uncertainty at a time when business confidence and job security have been shaken by COVID-19.
“We in the Midlands and North are clear - we need the whole of the HS2 network to be delivered, in full,” she said.
Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan said the decision was great news, not just for the railway but for the UK, its long-term connectivity and economy.
“Now let’s get on with the eastern leg too, to deliver the full network and the maximum benefits which the entire HS2 scheme provides,” he said.
After the Bill became law, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said: “Whatever your view of this project, HS2 is now a reality - heading north, creating jobs and building a brighter future for our country. This vital project is at the heart of the Government’s commitments to build back better from the pandemic, tackle the north-south divide and drive growth across the country.”
Work on Phase 2a will support around 5,000 jobs. A further 140 permanent jobs will be created at the section’s maintenance base near Stone, in Staffordshire.