A Bill has been submitted to Parliament for the Phase 2b Western Leg of the high-speed zero carbon railway from Crewe to Manchester
The Bill, called the ‘High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill’, seeks to gain the approval to operate the Phase 2b Western Leg.
Phase 2b Western leg is the 52 mile extension to Manchester via Manchester Airport which will double capacity between Manchester and London, treble capacity between Manchester and Birmingham and create 17,500 jobs
HS2 CEO: “This Bill is a vote of confidence in HS2’s ability to help towns and cities in the North realise their economic potential.”
What impact will the Bill have?
The bill will increase capacity of high-speed rail journeys which will close distances between towns and cities in the Midlands and North.
It will free up capacity on the congested West Coast Main Line and deliver significant connectivity, reliability and journey time benefits for passengers travelling between Scotland, the North, the Midlands and the South East.
‘HS2 has an integral role to play in levelling up and rebalancing Britain’s economy’
Mark Thurston, CEO at HS2 Ltd said:
“HS2 has an integral role to play in levelling up and rebalancing Britain’s economy, and this extension of the network fuels that role by bringing the country’s economic centres in the North and Midlands closer together.
“Construction of the first phase of HS2 is already supporting over 20,000 jobs and spearheading investment and growth in major population centres along the route. This Bill is a vote of confidence in HS2’s ability to help towns and cities in the North realise their economic potential.”
Zero carbon
HS2 will mean that zero carbon journeys will be more accessible to millions of people.
Phase 2b Western Leg hopes to replace many cars and lorries across the North and offer transport that is more sustainable. Ultimately, HS2 aims to meet the UK’s Net Zero carbon emissions target.
Making Manchester the best-connected city outside of London
The inclusion of new high-speed stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly and critical infrastructure provisions for Northern Powerhouse Rail and new Metrolink routes will make Manchester the best-connected city outside of London.
Commuter towns south of Manchester have not been forgotten. For example, up to three new train paths per hour could be released between Crewe and Manchester via Stockport, and the number of seats on services between Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly could more than double during the evening peak as a result.
Investing in the economy
Damian Waters, regional director, CBI North West said:
“Better transport links are crucial to growing the economy and we welcome the first step in bringing high speed rail to Manchester. HS2 is already having a positive effect on investment in other parts of the country before a single train has started running and business in the North West will see this as a vote of confidence in the region’s future.”
A new junction north of Crewe, known as the Crewe Northern Connection, for a future NPR scheme would allow up to seven high-speed trains per hour to call at the town. Not only would this boost connectivity to the heritage railway town, the infrastructure would also facilitate better links between Chester, North Wales and Birmingham and Shrewsbury and Manchester. Combined with the Government’s plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Crewe Northern Connection could also facilitate faster journeys between Liverpool and the capital.
Creating employment
Delivery of the Phase 2b Western Leg would fuel employment in the North. 17,500 jobs are forecast to support the construction programme and thousands more are expected to be created as plans for new homes and commercial development around the new Piccadilly and Airport Stations spring into life.
Darren Caplan, CEO at the Rail Industry Association said:
“It is encouraging to see the bill for HS2’s Western Leg deposited in Parliament today. Rail businesses up and down the country stand ready to support this transformational project, supporting jobs and investment whilst delivering a new sustainable railway for the nation.”
Today’s announcement was coupled with confirmation that plans will include a rolling stock depot north of Crewe and a smaller depot and train stabling facilities in Dumfries and Galloway in the scheme proposals. This would support the creation of hundreds of permanent skilled jobs.
Already it has been announced that HS2 trains will be powered by zero carbon energy from day one, offering a cleaner alternative to long distance car journeys and domestic flights. Plans for the Western Leg extension of HS2 support that vision with journey times between Glasgow and the capital slashed by 49 minutes and Edinburgh and Birmingham made 43 minutes faster.
Construction of the Phase 2b Western Leg sets a further aspiration for cleaner, greener travel by becoming the first major infrastructure project to set out its ambition to deliver a net gain in biodiversity.
