HS2

HS2 unveils chosen phase 2 route and £900m enabling works

The delayed phase 2 route of HS2 has been published, outlining exactly where the government will look to build the high-speed network through the north of England.

Despite this, the process is still not yet complete as the controversial decision of where Sheffield’s station will be has been postponed once again. Seven alterations to the originally planned route are also being put out for further consultation, with some likely to face resistance in areas affected. Last week, delegates at RTM's TransCityRail North dinner were told that an imminent decision on the route was expected. 

The government will now push forward with the Y-shaped route to Leeds and Manchester, which it claims will increase the capacity of inter-city trains three-fold to almost 15,000 seats per hour.  The total number of main line commuter and inter-city trains per hour each way into and out of Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds will double to 48, the DfT said.

The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, commented: “Our railways owe much to the Victorian engineers who pioneered them, but we cannot rest on their legacy when we face overcrowding and capacity problems.

“HS2 is an ambitious and exciting project and the government is seizing the opportunity it offers to build a transport network fit for the 21st century; one that works for all and makes clear to the world that Britain remains open for business.”

He assured residents which will be affected by the route that he is “desperately sorry” and that they would be “treated with fairness, compassion and respect”. Affected residents will immediately be compensated with measures such as a premium on compulsory purchases and support with moving costs.

Grayling has also published a command paper that sets out the defined route in more detail. On the western leg, the paper revealed HS2 will continue north from Crewe to Manchester Airport, and continue from the airport onto Manchester city centre. A new HS2 station will be built next to the existing Manchester Piccadilly station.

There will also be a connection to Liverpool and to the WCML which will allow services to continue north, serving stations in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

On its eastern leg, the high-speed route will continue from the West Midlands to Toton in the east, where a new HS2 station will be built, as previously confirmed. The line will also continue north from the East Midlands to South Yorkshire and, in line with Sir David Higgins’ recommendations, is expected to serve Sheffield with a connection to the city’s existing station. The DfT said it will be consulting on details before a final decision is made next year.

From South Yorkshire, the chosen route will continue to Leeds, where a new HS2 station will also be built in the city centre adjacent to the existing station. It will also have a connection onto the ECML so that HS2 can serve York, Newcastle and other locations in the north-east.

Seven further ‘refinements’ are being consulted on to shape further route details in both the western and eastern legs. These include, for example, moving the previously proposed rolling stock depot at Golborne to a site north of Crewe and moving the route to the east of Measham in Leicestershire, avoiding the most significant impacts of local manufacturing businesses and development sites.

As well as the route announcement, Grayling also revealed that HS2 Ltd has awarded a major £900m contract so that construction on the first phase of HS2 – between the West Midlands and London – can get underway next year.

The companies to receive the contract are:

• Area South – CS JV (Costain Group Plc, Skanska Construction UK Ltd)
• Area Central – Fusion JV (Morgan Sindall Plc, BAM Nuttall Ltd, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Ltd)
• Area North – LM JV (Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd, J Murphy & Sons Ltd)

A spokesperson for High Speed Rail Industry Leaders welcomed both the route and the £900m enabling works announcements, which they considered of equal importance.

“HS2 was never just about faster journeys from London to Birmingham, and this phase will extend the transformative economic benefits of the project to cities all across the country. It also creates a springboard for a full national network that will bring HS2’s benefits to cities such as Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds, Crewe and Manchester,” the spokesperson said.

“HS2 will revitalise the northern economy by driving urban regeneration and creating tens of thousands of jobs in key towns and cities. The improved connectivity will make these cities a more attractive location for businesses, transforming local communities and providing a huge economic boost to Britain.

“The award of the enabling works contracts is equally important. It means that within months’ spades will be in the ground and construction underway.”

A proposed route for the northern half of HS2 was first published in 2013 but a review of the programme and disputes over station locations meant that detailed plans have been delayed by almost two years. However, the DfT still expects the £55bn scheme to be up and running by 2033.

The bill to secure phase 1 of HS2, between London and Birmingham, is expected to pass through Parliament this autumn, allowing construction to begin next year. Legislation is expected to be introduced in 2019, with phase 1 due to officially open in December 2026. Phase 2a, extending the line to Crewe, will open the year after.

Although phase 2 has received widespread support in northern cities, the scheme has so far been most fiercely opposed in the Chilterns, where construction will reportedly bring no benefit to those affected. However, the publication of the detailed route is likely to increase opposition, with more families facing the compulsory purchase of their homes for demolition.

David Brown, CEO of Transport for the North said: “We welcome the publication of this report on the next phase (Phase 2b) of HS2 and the fact that the secretary of state has recognised how an enhanced rail network in the North and HS2 can complement each other. 

“A fast HS2 rail link cradling and interfacing with a fast new northern rail network is exactly what is needed to provide the capacity and connectivity we require to grow and develop the full potential of the North. As stated by the secretary of state, the National Infrastructure Commission has recognised that rail is vitally important to realising the potential of the Northern Powerhouse and that Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) should maximise the benefits of investments in HS2, the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the new northern franchises (TPE and Northern). 

“There is still a consultation process to go through, and we are in discussions on the eastern leg of the HS2 route in the Sheffield area but today marks a major step forward in bringing these vital transport links closer to being a reality.”

(Image: c. HS2 Ltd)

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