‘No firm plan’ for city’s HS2 connection

PM admits Government does not know ‘right answer’ on route for Eastern leg

BORIS JOHNSON has admitted the Government does not yet know “the right answer” of how to get HS2 services to Leeds as he accepted a major redevelopment of the city station will be required to deliver the Integrated Rail Plan.

Mr Johnson made the comments to The Yorkshire Post as West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin hit out at delays to a £100m Government study designed to resolve the issues after the original Eastern leg proposals to bring HS2 to Leeds were scrapped in November.

The Prime Minister insisted it was a question of “when, not if” HS2 trains served Leeds but accepted there was not yet a firm plan for how this would happen.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, he said “several options” are being considered but “it will take some time to get to the right answer” to bring the rail project to the region.

“We will do the Birmingham to Leeds leg, the Eastern leg, but we have to work out the best way of doing it,” Mr Johnson added.

“If you poll the public, it’s quite interesting.

“They are not in favour of automatically deciding to carve up hundreds of miles of virgin green countryside with a new highspeed line.

“They want the best solution.” His comments came just one day after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted Leeds station would need major redevelopment for the promises in the IRP to be realised.

Mr Johnson echoed those sentiments as he said Ministers are “committed to making sure it gets a transformation”.

Mr Johnson promised that the £100m research project would look into how the West Yorkshire city would be connected to the HS2 system, when the rail plan – that he has since labelled “amazing” – was announced towards the end of last year.

Writing in The Yorkshire Post at the time, he said: “We’ll look at how to get HS2 to Leeds, too, with a new study on the best way to make it happen.”

Ms Brabin has said “indecision” is stopping the work from getting going.

“Six months on, we’re still waiting for Government to agree the scope of the promised study to get high-speed trains to Leeds,” she said.

“We stand ready to get this going. But Government indecision is preventing us.”

A spokesperson at the Department for Transport said yesterday: “We are working closely with local authorities as we take forward the work promised in the Integrated Rail Plan to look at the most effective way to run HS2 trains to Leeds.”

TRACY BRABIN has hit out at “Government indecision” as the wait continues for the start of a promised £100m study into getting HS2 trains to Leeds.

The West Yorkshire mayor said the region is ready to assist with the study, which will also consider the potential redevelopment of Leeds station and the creation of a West Yorkshire mass transit system, but is still waiting on Government to start the work after it was promised as part of November’s Integrated Rail Plan.

Ms Brabin made the remarks after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused critics of the IRP of “pure politics”.

The Labour politician responded: “As I said to the Transport Select Committee in February, objections to the IRP are not partisan, but about getting the right transport connections for the people of West Yorkshire to meet the ambitions for our region,” she said.

“HS2 and a new high-speed line between Leeds and Manchester, with that crucial stop in Bradford, would have brought additional jobs and investment to the region. They would also drive forward redevelopment around the new stations, as we’ve seen happen elsewhere.

“We may disagree with the decisions Government made in the IRP, but we’re committed to working with them to deliver what has been promised.

“We’re already in regular contact with the department, Network Rail and train operators to ensure that the welcome upgrade to the Trans Pennine Route delivers on the benefits that we have been calling for.

“However, six months on, we’re still waiting for Government to agree the scope of the promised study to get high-speed trains to Leeds.

“We stand ready to get this going, but Government indecision is preventing us.”

Mr Shapps indicated during his own evidence to the Transport Select Committee on Wednesday that he will be making a further announcement on the Leeds study after next week’s elections have concluded.

The Transport Secretary accepted a contention from committee chair Huw Merriman that a major redevelopment of Leeds station will be required to deliver both HS2 services to the city and other key elements of the Integrated Rail Plan, such as faster journey times to Bradford.

The IRP saw the original Eastern leg route between Birmingham and Leeds curtailed to finish in the East Midlands with HS2 trains then due to run on an existing line up to Sheffield while a study is conducted into the most effective way to bring them up to Leeds.

In February, Rail Minister Andrew Stephenson indicated that the original HS2 Eastern leg route could be still be revived. “If this study says the original plan is the best way forward, there is nothing to stop us from building the eastern leg as originally proposed,” he said.