HIGH SPEED RAIL (WEST MIDLANDS - CREWE) BILL
“A new bill will also be brought forward to deliver
the next phase of high-speed rail.”
The purpose of the Bill is to:
-
Provide the powers to build and operate the next stage of
the High Speed Two (HS2) network from the end of the Phase One
route at Fradley to a junction with the West Coast Main Line
just south of Crewe.
The main benefits of the Bill would
be:
-
To allow cities in the north of England and Scotland to
enjoy the increased capacity, improved connections, economic
benefits and reduced journey times of HS2 sooner by
accelerating the building of a connection to Crewe, as
recommended by the Sir David Higgins’ report in 2014.
-
To improve connections between our great cities, free up
space on our existing rail lines, generate jobs and help us
build an economy that works for everyone.
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To fulfil the manifesto commitment to “continue our
programme of strategic national investments” (p. 23). It will
continue to build the full High Speed Two “Y” network
connecting London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.
The main elements of the Bill are:
-
Powers to compulsorily acquire the land needed for the
railway, construct the railway, and operate it.
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Deemed planning permission to deliver the scheme. The
details of planning will be developed on a site-by-site basis
in coordination with the local planning authority.
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To set out the way railway regulation will apply to the
railway.
Territorial extent and application
-
The Bill would extend to the UK but concerns the route
between Fradley and Crewe.
Key facts
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The HS2 line between Fradley and Crewe is scheduled to
open in 2027.
-
This is a further investment of £3.5 billion in the
infrastructure this country needs.
-
Journey times, already shortened by Phase One, will be
reduced by a further 13 minutes for journeys between London and
Crewe, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Cities not directly
served by HS2 but connected to Crewe will also have faster
journey times to and from London.
