Delivery of High Speed 2 took an important step forward on Monday evening after MPs in Westminster passed the second reading of the Hybrid Bill for phase one of the rail project between London and Birmingham.

A total of 452 MPs voted in favour of the Hybrid Bill, with 41 against. Supplementary stages in the House of Commons will be required to consider the detail of the Hybrid Bill before it can receive Royal Assent and the scheme can proceed.

Powers will be sought for phase two separately once a decision has been taken on a preferred route.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “By voting in favour of the Hybrid Bill, Parliament has made a clear commitment to a key part of the Government’s long term economic plan. HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to create jobs and develop skills, provide extra space we need on our rail network for commuters and freight and better connect our biggest cities.”

Opposition group the HS2 Action Alliance responded by claiming the vote was always going to be a ‘yes’. Spokesman Richard Houghton said: “The telling aspects were that there were so many absences and abstentions, which should be taken as a non commitment to HS2. Those ‘no’ votes and a considerable number of absentees should be sending signals that HS2 is not going to get an easy ride and could even become a key election issue.”

Further opposition to the project was voiced this week by the Institute of Economic Affairs. It said Government is misleading the public with claims that HS2 will transform the north of England. Head of transport Dr Richard Wellings said: “Given that the Government’s own cost benefit analysis suggested the project is poor value for money, policymakers should instead focus on improving infrastructure linking northern cities to each other, rather than to London. This would deliver much greater economic benefits.”

(Photo: Christine Matthews)

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