The plans include five new HS2 stations. The Birmingham to Manchester line will have stations at Manchester airport and Manchester Piccadilly. The Leeds line will have stations at Toton (between Derby and Nottingham), Sheffield Meadowhall and Leeds city centre.
The Department for Transport says that the new station sites ‘will provide a significant opportunity for regeneration and development, both around the station and across the wider city region’.
In addition to these stations, connections are proposed at various points across the HS2 network onto existing rail lines, enabling high speed trains to continue on to nine out of the UK’s 10 biggest conurbations.
The publication today of the 211-mile northern Phase Two route of HS2 follows the confirmation a year ago of HS2’s 140-mile southern Phase One route between London and Birmingham, which should start construction in four years and open to passengers in 13 years. The routes announced today, running from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, will open six years after that.
A public consultation on the Phase Two routes, stations and depots was originally planned for 2014. However, the government has decided to fast-track this work and now intends to hold a public consultation in 2013. The aim is to bring forward completion of the second phase of HS2 before the scheduled completion date of 2032.
According to the plans, Manchester city centre will be 41 minutes from Birmingham city centre and 1 hour 8 minutes from London Euston, almost halving their durations today. Leeds will be 57 minutes away from Birmingham city centre, compared to 1 hour 58 today, and 1 hour 22 minutes away from London Euston, down from 2 hours 12 minutes today. HS2 stations at Leeds, Sheffield, East Midlands and Birmingham will each be separated from the next by journey times of under 20 minutes.
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.
“While doing nothing would be the easy choice it would also be the irresponsible choice. This is an unparalleled opportunity to secure a step-change in Britain’s competitiveness and this government will do everything possible to ensure that the towns and cities in the Midlands and the North get the connections they need and deserve to thrive.
“HS2 will be woven into the transport fabric of the nation, accessible to all, and I believe these proposed routes offer a great starting point for the process of engagement to follow. As with previous consultations, we will work closely with communities and interested parties to find the right balance between delivering the essential infrastructure that we need and respecting the rights and justifiable concerns of those who will be most affected by HS2’s construction.”
Detailed maps of the route can be downloaded from the Department for Transport website HERE.
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