Consultation on the proposed routes for phase two of the HS2 high speed rail line is to be brought forward to this year and investigations on fast tracking the project are being instigated following announcement on Monday of the proposed route of the line from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.

The Government is planning to construct 339km of new high speed route and five new stations. This follows confirmation a year ago of HS2’s 224km southern phase one route between London and Birmingham. Planned opening date for phase one is 2026 and phase two 2032.

The plans have the potential to rebalance the UK economy, ending the north south divide and connecting road and rail networks east and west and from London to Scotland, Government suggested.

High speed rail construction will create 100,000 jobs, free up existing rail route for more commuter traffic and freight, take cars and lorries off the roads and end overcrowding on the West Coast Main Line, it said.

Manchester will be 1 hour 8 minutes from London and only 41 minutes from Birmingham, almost halving current travel times. Leeds will be 57 minutes from Birmingham rather than 1 hour 58 minutes now and 1 hour and 22 minutes from London instead of 2 hours and 12 minutes. 

“HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to transform Britain’s connectivity, capacity and competitiveness,” Government said. 

HS2’s phase two routeBirmingham to Manchester: The western leg of HS2 would serve proposed stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly. The line extends HS2’s London to West Midlands route near Lichfield before heading past Stafford and on towards Crewe. A connection with the West Coast Main Line would be provided just south of Crewe with HS2 continuing in tunnel under the town heading north. It would cross over the M6 and then the M56 before heading past Warrington to a further connection with the West Coast Main Line south of Wigan. The Manchester stations would be served by a spur off HS2 running roughly parallel with the M56 towards Manchester Airport. The airport station would be located between Junctions 5 and 6 of the M56 as the line approaches the main built-up area of Manchester. Heading north from here HS2 would enter a 12km tunnel, surfacing a short distance from the new station alongside the existing station at Manchester Piccadilly. The total route length would be 152km.Birmingham to Leeds: The eastern leg of HS2 would serve stations in the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Leeds. This line would connect with the London to West Midlands leg to the east of Birmingham, near Junction 4 of the M6, and then follow the M42 corridor north east towards Derby and Nottingham. An East Midlands Hub station would be located between these two cities at Toton, about 1.5kms from the M1. HS2 would then head north, following the M1 corridor towards South Yorkshire. The station serving this region would be located at Meadowhall alongside the M1 between Sheffield and Rotherham. From here HS2 would pass to the east of Barnsley and connect to the East Coast Main Line 14kms to the south west of York. As with Manchester, Leeds would be served by a spur off the main line. HS2 would run within the existing Castleford to Leeds railway corridor passing the southern suburbs of Leeds before rising above street level into the new station at Leeds New Lane. The total route length would be 187km.Heathrow link: A proposed spur link to Heathrow has been taken out of the consultation proposals pending the outcome of the current airports review.

(Photo: HS2)

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