HS2 route from Birmingham to Crewe to open 6 years early

Coun Keith Wakefield, West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee chairman, added: “Integrating the HS2 station with our existing station will provide a seamless interchange between high speed and classic rail services – and importantly, will allow through trains to enhance services to the city region and beyond”.

Now Chancellor George Osborne is announcing that the link between Birmingham and Crewe will open in 2027.

Under the original plan, the line was meant to open between London and Birmingham in 2026 and on to Manchester and Leeds, including the link to Crewe, by 2033.

Sir David Higgins, Chair of HS2 Ltd, recommendation to government would see the station redeveloped as a “Yorkshire Hub” utilising a “T-shape” design.

Transport expert Jonathan Hart of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the published plans “put more flesh on the bones of previous announcements about accelerating the next stage of HS2”.

With record housing and office rents in London, Manchester and Birmingham could draw businesses and entrepreneurs northward.

Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Mr Hunt said: “Today marks a sad day for Stoke-on-Trent as our campaign for a stop in Stoke for the second phase of HS2 hits the buffers”.

“This council has put in an enormous amount of work over the past four years to seek to secure HS2 for Crewe and the new regeneration company will build on that”, Cllr Jones said.

He also confirmed safeguarding directions for phase 2a to protect land from potentially conflicting development and approved a new compensation scheme for homeowners along the route. “We are optimistic the same logic and overwhelming economic case will prevail in Sheffield City Region”.

“This is not simply about high speed – it is crucially about capacity and connectivity”.

“Policymakers are sometimes accused of running before they can walk”, he said.

Shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood confirmed Labour’s on-going support for the HS2 project. He believes there are more sections of the network which could be delivered sooner.

“The government continues to boost economic growth by investing in transport with a clear focus on the Northern Powerhouse and I welcome the appointment of John Cridland as chairman of Transport for the North and look forward to working closely with him to deliver a world class transport network for the region”.

Mr McLoughlin defended the Government’s handling of the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill, which is slowly proceeding through the unusual “hybrid bill” procedures of the Commons. It also presents an opportunity to reorganise the local road system.