Change of South Yorkshire HS2 route “will save £1bn”
A CHANGE of route in South Yorkshire will save more than £1bn, according to HS2 Ltd boss David Higgins, but it will cut out Meadowhall, formerly the main contender for the Sheffield station site.
The new route will run towards the M18 before returning to its original route south of the M62, running through the existing Sheffield Midland station, opening up a potential route to Chesterfield.
Mr Higgins said journey times to London would be cut by 79 minutes.
He said: “Decisions of this scale sometimes involve compromise, and through dialogue I believe we have reached the best solution for South Yorkshire.”
Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Whilst today’s announcement is a huge step in the right direction, it is part of a much bigger strategy. We’re fighting hard for radically better connections to Leeds and Manchester as well as London. We want to create a larger jobs market and unlock new opportunities for local businesses by securing a maximum of 30 minute journey times between the three cities at the heart of the Northern economy.”
Last week, the HS2 plan took a blow when the National Audit Office called its timetable “too ambitious” with an “unrealistic timetable.” Now HS2 Ltd is attempting to make budget cuts of £9bn.
Anti-HS2 campaigners said that the cutting of the proposed Meadowhall station was evidence that more cuts would be made. HS2 would save money by taking the line through Sheffield Midland Station, rather than building another site at Meadowhall.
Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: “The decision of HS2 Ltd not to build a new station in Sheffield is an admission that their original route could not be delivered due to unstable ground conditions, and that they desperately need to cut their ever spiralling costs.”
