Government announces route for phase two of HS2

DETAILS of the next phase of the HS2 high-speed rail network – which will slash journey times from the West Midlands to the North of England – have been unveiled by the Government today.

The preferred route of the 211-mile phase two running north from Birmingham will have five stops at: Manchester; Manchester Airport; Toton in the East Midlands; Sheffield; and Leeds.

Travelling at speeds of up to 250mph it will reduce journey times from Birmingham to Manchester to 41 minutes, Birmingham to Sheffield to 40 minutes and the Birmingham to Leeds journey time will be slashed from two hours to 57 minutes.

A final route for phase two is expected to be chosen by the end of 2014 and will be built by 2032, connecting to the £32bn line between London and Birmingham which will open in 2026.

The project is predicted to created 100,000 jobs and will be integrated with the existing national railway network, meaning cities and towns beyond the high speed track up to Scotland – including Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Preston, Warrington, Lancaster, Carlisle, Durham and Darlington – will also benefit from new connections and substantial time savings due to new trains able to use both high speed and conventional railway lines.

The Core Cities Group of England’s eight largest cities and other organisations believe the potential for jobs across the wider Midlands and the north is well above the predicted figure of 100,000.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Linking communities and businesses across the country and shrinking the distances between our greatest cities, high speed rail is an engine for growth that will help to drive regional regeneration and invigorate our regional economies. It is vital that we get on board the high-speed revolution.”

“We are in a global race and this government’s decision to make high speed rail a reality is another example of the action we taking to equip Britain to compete and thrive in that race. High speed rail is a catalyst that will help to secure economic prosperity across Britain, rebalance our economy and support tens of thousands of jobs.”

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “The Olympics showed us that Britain has the confidence to seize opportunities today in order to secure our success tomorrow and HS2 is no different. It is about an investment in infrastructure that will deliver a priceless dividend: 351 miles of new railways helping people to jobs and goods to market.”

Andy Street, chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, welcomed the announcement, saying it would transform connectivity between three key economic areas and more importantly for business, move markets closer.

“We must forge ahead in ensuring we maximise the economic dividend. Greater Birmingham will stand at the centre of this network, providing an unrivalled level of connectivity with the north and the south of the country while enhancing our international connectivity and, therefore, offer to potential investors,” he said.

Estimates are that HS2, combined with regional rail improvements, would bring 22,000 jobs to the West Midlands and boost the region’s GDP by around £1.5bn per year.