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THE UK Government gave the go-ahead for Phase 2A of HS2 from Fradley near Lichfield, West Midlands to Crewe on February 11. This means the 58km of line will be built earlier than originally planned and connections to towns and cities across north western England, north Wales and Scotland will be possibly considerably quicker. They will benefit from opening at the same time as Phase One from London, which is expected to be around 2029-33. Following environmental works, construction of the line should start in 2024. The decision will support around 5,000 jobs.
Speaking about the event, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Today is a landmark moment in our infrastructure revolution. HS2 is the most significant expansion to our national railways in a generation – transforming connectivity between our towns and cities and vastly increasing the capacity of our rail network. By proceeding full steam ahead, we are delivering on our commitment to unite and level up the country.”
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps added: “Whatever your view of this project HS2 is now a reality – heading north, creating jobs and building a brighter future for our country. I look forward to seeing spades in the ground to get this section built and deliver the benefits of high-speed rail to the north as swiftly as possible.”
The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, commented: “HS2 will be a key anchor of the region’s recovery plans, with our latest research suggesting the knockon effect of HS2 could eventually generate 175,000 jobs and more than £20bn of investment. These are extraordinary numbers, which shows just how critical it was to win the argument for HS2.”
Meanwhile, arguments continue about HS2’s eastern leg through the East Midlands to Leeds. The High Speed Rail Group has urged the government to give the goahead for the Phase 2b eastern leg to the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The Department for Transport said the government would publish its integrated rail plan “early this year”, which will outline how HS2 can work with existing rail plans and Northern Powerhouse Rail to deliver the benefits of HS2 to the East Midlands, Yorkshire and further north.
However, at the southern end of the route things are less certain. The Department for Transport intends to proceed with changes to the layout of the Euston HS2 terminus, as well as rejigging the construction timetable. The key point is that HS2 could end up with a ten-platform terminus built in a single stage, instead of 11 platforms built in stages with the first six platforms for Phase One, followed by five more and an extended concourse in 2026-33. The Oakervee Review, which was published in February last year, recommended building HS2 in full, subject to further integration with proposed major rail schemes in the north.
The change in the construction process could mean the initial HS2 trains would have to start and finish at Old Oak Common for a few years, with onward connections provided by the Elizabeth Line to the city centre and Heathrow Airport. The main concern is the number of trains HS2 could reliably run per hour. The specification from the start was for 18 trains per hour in each direction along the core route between Euston and the West Midlands. However, the Oakervee Review has reduced this to 14, with provision for 16 in the future, but this is being questioned due to the reduction to ten platforms.