07.07.16
HS2 to save £1bn by stopping at Sheffield Midland under new plans
HS2 will stop at Sheffield Midland instead of Meadowhall under revised proposals for the high-speed rail service’s South Yorkshire route.
The route would take a spur along existing track to Sheffield Midland, with the additional option of calling at Chesterfield and extending to Meadowhall, Rotherham or Barnsley, as well as introducing a parkway station along the route.
In a new report, HS2 said the new route would save around £1bn, following the recruitment of Civil Service head Sir Jeremy Heywood to try to keep the project within its £55bn budget.
Sir David Higgins, chair of HS2, said: “Projects of HS2’s size, scale and significance should seek to provide the maximum benefit for the people they serve.
“I have listened to the very constructive comments and discussions that have taken place on how HS2 should best serve South Yorkshire and recommend the option of HS2 services using the existing city centre station.
“Decisions of this scale sometimes involve compromise, and through dialogue I believe we have reached the best solution for South Yorkshire.”
Sir David said the route provided the best opportunities for ensuring HS2 services in South Yorkshire were a core part of the network whilst preserving the integrity of the service to York, Leeds and Newcastle.
The new route also opens up the possibility of building a link to Leeds north of Sheffield, which could deliver Transport for the North’s ambition for a frequent 30-minute service between Leeds and Sheffield and allow Birmingham to Leeds HS2 services to run through Sheffield.
In his report, Sir David admitted that the proposal creates “fresh uncertainty” for residents along the M18, which the route partially follows, and said that he would ensure that their concerns were addressed “as quickly as possible”.
Sir Nigel Knowles, chair of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “HS2 is a vital investment in the Sheffield City Region’s future. I am delighted that we have had the time to work constructively to ensure the city region could be best served by Britain’s new high speed rail network, which we expect to include trains calling at Chesterfield in the south of the city region, a parkway station as well as the line into the centre of Sheffield.
“Connectivity with the rest of the UK is a major factor in achieving our growth plans. Of equal importance is the inter-connectivity within the North, via HS3, and we look forward to working with the government and other partners to bring that into fruition as quickly as possible. So I welcome David Higgins’ report and look forward to the Secretary of State’s decision in due course.”
Transport secretary Patrick McLouglin said it was his intention to make an announcement on the HS2 Phase 2 route, of which South Yorkshire is a part, later this year.
He said: “Should I decide to adopt the report’s recommendations as my preferred option in South Yorkshire I will then hold a public consultation in order to allow local stakeholders and affected communities the opportunity to comment on the proposal, alongside a consultation on the property compensation and assistance schemes for the entire route.”
Richard Wright, executive director at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, which has campaigned for an alternative HS2 station location, said: “Sheffield Chamber will always campaign hard, and hold people to account, to make the best economic decision so we are delighted with this.
“Of course the work does not stop here. We will campaign equally as hard to get the right number of services through the station and the right connectivity from the station to the rest of the region.”
HS2 has recently been criticised for being behind schedule and failing to engage with members of the public.
Lord Berkeley, chair of the Rail Freight Group, has warned that its future is in doubt following the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
(Image: c. St BC)
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