Crewe-Manchester Bill introduced to Parliament

Transport Secretary says start of legislative process marks ‘landmark moment’.

THE Bill setting out plans for the delivery of the next phase of HS2 was submitted to Parliament on January 24, beginning its journey towards becoming legislation.

Assuming it is approved in its current form, it will give the goahead to a 52-mile extension of the route (Phase 2b Western Leg) from Crewe-Manchester via Manchester Airport.

HS2 would serve new stations at both the airport and Manchester Piccadilly, as well as providing infrastructure for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Crewe Northern Connection will link the route to the West Coast Main Line and allow high speed services to call at Crewe before rejoining the HS2 alignment. Plans for a rolling stock depot north of Crewe and a smaller depot with train stabling facilities alongside the West Coast

Main Line at Annandale in Dumfries & Galloway have also been included in the scheme proposals.

Also outlined as part of the scheme is work to extend two platforms to allow 400 metrelong HS2 trains to call at Preston station. At Carlisle, in addition to the extension of two platforms for the same purpose, another existing platform would be infilled and a new one created to accommodate HS2 services.

HS2 Ltd says the project will more than triple rail capacity between Manchester and Birmingham and double it between Manchester and London. It quotes journey time reductions of 49 minutes between Glasgow and London and 43 minutes between Edinburgh and Birmingham. It estimates Phase 2b will support 17,500 jobs.

Cost range

The cost range for the CreweManchester scheme as set out in the Strategic Outline Business Case is £15 billion-£22 billion. Figures are expected to be refined as the project design is developed and these will inform a Full Business Case to be presented to Parliament.

Describing HS2 as “having an integral role to play in levelling-up and rebalancing the economy” and bringing “economic centres in the North and Midlands closer together”, HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston added: “This Bill is a vote of confidence in HS2’s ability to help towns and cities in the North realise their economic potential.”

In a statement prior to the Bill’s introduction to Parliament, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We are determined to improve transport connections and level up communities across the country and this Bill marks a landmark moment as we bring HS2 to Manchester and lay the foundations for Northern Powerhouse Rail.”