HS2 bill goes before Parliament

THE legislation allowing the Government to build the first phase of the high speed rail line from London to the North is to go before Parliament.

The bill, published today, is said to be the lengthiest the country has ever seen, stretching to 55,000 pages.

It details what ministers would like to build and the impact the first phase of HS2 – linking Birmingham and London via 225mph trains from 2026 – will have on the environment. The second phase is expected to bring the route to Manchester by 2032.

Building work is scheduled to begin in 2016 but politicians will now spend years debating the bill. A special committee will be set up to hear from many of those who will be directly affected by the line before MPs vote on the matter.

If MPs pass the bill, it gives the Government the power to start buying up houses and land regardless of whether the owner wants to sell.

The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT), whose membership also includes executives of companies such as BT, BAE Systems, NSG Pilkington, Unilever and United Utilities, welcomed the development.

Juergen Maier, chair of the NWBLT and chief executive of Siemens UK Industry, said: “With year-on-year growth in both passenger and freight traffic, and the West Coast Main Line already reaching capacity, this vital lifeline for industry in the North and the Midlands is long overdue.

“Although this bill will cover only the first phase of the new line, we in the North of England welcome its construction as an essential first step towards providing Manchester and other Northern cities with the modern 21st century rail connection we desperately need to London and Europe.”