Transport Secretary hails “railway for next 100 years” at HS2 office launch

TRANSPORT secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP officially opened the Birmingham offices of the company managing the HS2 high-speed rail project yesterday.

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited already has 200 staff working at its Two Snowhill base and expects to employ 1,000 plus staff members eventually.

It has taken 100,000 sq ft of space over a number of floors.

Launching the office, McLoughlin was accompanied by HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins and chief executive Simon Kirby.

He said: “When I first moved to the Department of Transport in 2012 a number of people were asking whether it would actually happen.

“Today, railways are seen as an essential part of any city’s future.

“We are embarking here on the railway for the next 100 years.

“Birmingham will get the advantage of that in ten years’ time and in infrastructure terms that is not long at all.”

Kirby confirmed that HS2 is on schedule and work will start on the project next year.

Higgins said: “There is growing anticipation as HS2 goes from concept to reality.”

The first phase of HS2 will see high-speed trains running between London and Birmingham by 2027.