Today, Monday 24th January, the Government is to lay the Bill before Parliament to extend HS2 from Crewe to Manchester and beyond.
This is a major phase of a £96bn commitment in the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) that will deliver faster and better journeys across the North and directly create 17,500 direct across northern England.
Once it is approved, the `High Speed Rail (CreweManchester) Bill` will allow HS2 to continue its journey from Crewe to Manchester, with journey times from London to Manchester cut by around 55 minutes and from Birmingham to Manchester by up to 45 minutes
The Bill will also allow for new highspeed stations and junctions to be built at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, futureproofing services along the Western Leg, and facilitating Northern Powerhouse Rail to be built at a later date that could also include lines from Manchester to Liverpool and Leeds. Near Crewe, a new junction will be built to improve future services on the route and give Crewe the potential to be a hub station in midCheshire able to accommodate more trains.
Part of the new line will also be used for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) services between Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool. Travel time from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool will be reduced to 35 minutes and travel time from Leeds to Liverpool will be reduced to approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. It will also create a new transportation backbone in the northwest to boost the local economy by improving connectivity, increasing capacity, increasing reliability and reducing travel times.
The northern community will benefit from creating 17,500 jobs during the construction of the Crewe Manchester line. Thousands of supply chain jobs are expected to continue, including hundreds of highly skilled full-time jobs, some of which are based on newly established depots.
Grant Shapps, Minister of Transport, said:
“Our £96bn investment in rail in the North and Midlands and in connecting them to London will bring communities together, create thousands of jobs and make towns and cities in these key areas more attractive to business up to 10 years quicker than under any previous plans.”
“The IRP is the blueprint for the government`s commitment to building better transport links, generating prosperity and opportunity across the North and Midlands, bringing benefits up to 10 years sooner than previously planned, all while delivering on levelling up the country.”
HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said, “We have time and time again proven our commitment to improving transport connections throughout the North and levelling up communities in the process. “Today marks the next chapter in achieving this; fulfilling the promises in our £96bn Integrated Rail Plan to shorten journey times, provide reliable and sustainable services, while supporting local services and delivering a modern, fully connected transport network fit for the future even sooner.”
Clare Hayward MBE, DL, Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership said:
“Ensuring all of Cheshire and Warrington is properly connected to the rest of the North West and the country as a whole, and delivering an integrated sustainable transport solution, is vital in ensuring our continued economic growth and delivering on our netzero ambitions.
“Highspeed links to the airport and Manchester beyond are a key part of this, providing easy access to good employment opportunities as well as ensuring our vital industries, including netzero, are easily accessible and properly joined up to important infrastructure.
“Crewe has a proud rail heritage and has long been seen as the gateway to the north and today`s announcement is an important step in it continuing to be so. I look forward to seeing the project progress and come to fruition, providing economic benefits to all our area and the people that live here.”
Chris Fletcher, Marketing & Campaigns Director, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said “Phase 2b of HS2 will be transformative for Greater Manchester and the wider North West. Full deployment of HS2 has many advantages. It promotes economic growth, stimulates business investment, opens the job market and enables renewal of areas that are in desperate need of “leveling”.
"The additional rail capacity provided by HS2 helps to reach Netzero's goals by enabling more rail freight transport and reducing road congestion. That is, HS2 does not just reduce travel time. No. This is an integral part of "upgrading" and the Manchester Chamber of Commerce welcomes further progress in HS2. "
The Railroad Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the British railroad industry, welcomed the HS2 Act. Darren Caplan, RIA's Chief Executive Officer, said: Railroad companies across the country are ready to support this transformation project, boosting employment and investment while creating new sustainable railroads for the country.
"Of course, this development should come with a commitment to also provide the HS2 Eastern leg. Only by providing a complete program will all the benefits of HS2 be realized. Therefore, we tell the government We will continue to request that we upgrade the HS2 route from Birmingham to Leeds while advancing the west route to Manchester.
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