15.07.15
Toton confirmed as HS2’s preferred East Midlands hub
Toton is now the only location being considered for the East Midlands HS2 hub.
Sir David Higgins, chair of HS2 Ltd, announced the decision after a meeting of the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board yesterday (Tuesday 14 July).
HS2 Ltd had previously considered an alternative location such as Breaston in Derbyshire next to the M1, but has now settled on the Nottinghamshire hub.
The proposal will be presented to government ministers and the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin MP, will make the final decision.
HS2 Ltd spokeswoman Katherine Button confirmed the decision to RTM and said the government will confirm more details about the second phase of HS2 later this year.
A separate assessment undertaken for the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board showed that Toton had better potential to deliver economic growth and connect to Birmingham and the north of England.
Peter Richardson, chair of the D2N2 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire local enterprise partnership, who sits on the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board, said: “An HS2 hub station at Toton represents a huge economic opportunity for the D2N2 area. We now need to make sure we have plans and proposals in place that can maximise job creation locally and across the wider surrounding area, as well as implementation that can deliver effectively on the ground.”
Cllr Alan Rhodes, leader of Nottinghamshire City Council, welcomed Sir David’s decision.
He said: “Nottinghamshire City Council has always been fully committed to Toton as we believe that a hub there would serve both Nottingham and Derby.
“Toton would provide excellent overall connectivity for Nottinghamshire as a whole, including places to the north of the county like Kirkby and Mansfield, and bring enormous economic benefits, as well as improving travel time for passengers.
“Bringing HS2 to Nottinghamshire, combined with the dualling of the A453, will help make our county a place where businesses can flourish.”
Despite the Derbyshire location having been scrapped, several representatives believe the new potential location will serve both areas and boost local growth.
Cllr Anne Western, vice-chair of the East Midlands Strategic Board and leader of the Derbyshire County Council, claimed it was great news for the whole of East Midlands.
She said at the meeting in Nottingham yesterday: “A hub station at Toton, along with the proposed HS2 maintenance depot at Staveley near Chesterfield, will give a huge boost to our local economies.
“But we will need to get the connectivity right to maximise the benefits, in particular links from Derby to the hub station by road, rail and public transport.”
Mike Napier, director of High Speed Rail Industry Leaders, also supported the decision.
He told RTM: "Confirming another station location has been narrowed down is an important step in the progress of the HS2. There is a widespread consensus that a modern, high capacity railway is required as part of the momentum to keep Britain's economy moving forward.
"We have vast experience of delivering similar projects in this country and the rail industry stands ready to deliver the HS2."
Some campaigners disputed the decision over the location, as they believe it would be unsatisfactory for people who want to journey to city centres.
Bruce Williamson, from Railfuture, told RTM: “You race all the way up to Toton and then you have to take a tram at an average speed of 15mph into town. It’s just ridiculous. Derby would have been a better bet as an existing railway hub. Overall, journey times are going to suffer, because HS2 doesn’t deliver people to city centre stations, which is where they want to go.
“On the other hand, we would have to welcome the fact that the project is moving forward, because we need that additional rail capacity.”