First big HS2 contracts to build Britain’s new railway will support 16,000 jobs

• ·        Government set to confirm plans to extend HS2 from Birmingham to north west, East Midlands and Yorkshire
• ·        Decision being announced on the first stage of the big construction contracts – valued at around £6.6bn and supporting 16,000 jobs
• ·        HS2 trains set to carry more than 300,000 people a day – freeing up thousands of seats and creating extra local services

The winners of the first stage of the major construction contracts for Britain’s new railway will be announced today (Monday July 17), with the £6.6bn contracts supporting 16,000 jobs across the country. 

The huge infrastructure investment covers the main civil engineering work on the first phase of HS2 between London and Birmingham – including construction of tunnels, bridges, embankments and viaducts. 

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will announce the decision to award contracts today, which will mean the new high speed link reaching Birmingham by 2026.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

“This is a hugely important step in the construction of Britain’s new railway and underlines this Government’s determination to deliver an economy that works for all.

“HS2 will deliver vital links between some of our country’s biggest cities, helping to drive economic growth and productivity in the north and Midlands. 

“As well as providing desperately needed new seats and better connecting our major cities, HS2 will help rebalance our economy.

“We will now get on with building the railway, while continuing to ensure affected communities get appropriate support and are treated with fairness, compassion and respect.”

David Higgins, Chairman of HS2 Ltd, said:

“This is a huge day for the HS2 project and for the country. These contracts will support 16,000 jobs here in Britain and will create opportunities for thousands of SMEs.

“HS2 was always designed to be much more than just a high speed railway and today we can see the opportunities it brings right around the country - spreading prosperity, acting as a catalyst for investment and rebalancing our economy ten years before the railway even opens. Business now has the surety to invest with confidence to build a legacy for Britain.”

HS2 could carry more than 300,000 people a day. And with fast trains using the new line, there will be extra space for more trains on the existing rail network. 

Benefits will be felt across the network with trains running as far as Scotland and the number of seats available out of Euston in peak hours more than doubled.  

In total, construction of the full HS2 route to the north west and Yorkshire will create up to 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships. Another 3,000 people will operate HS2 and it is estimated that growth around new HS2 stations will create another 100,000 jobs.

In February, Parliament granted powers to construct the Phase One route from London Euston to Birmingham, with the route opening in 2026.

HS2 could double seat numbers for passengers suffering from crowded train services

HS2 could help double the number of seats available for passengers currently suffering from crowded and infrequent trains in key northern towns and cities, new analysis shows.

By freeing up space on existing lines, HS2 will provide a huge increase in seats and train paths when the high speed network to the north west, East Midlands and Yorkshire is completed.

Depending on how this ‘released capacity’ is used alongside new HS2 services it could double rush hour seats on busy services from Manchester Piccadilly towards Stoke, Crewe and the south and from Leeds towards Wakefield compared to today.

It also has the potential to almost double seats from London to Peterborough and East Coast destinations further north.

In other options, Macclesfield in Cheshire could see the number of hourly direct trains it gets to Manchester more than double (from 3 to 7).

New direct services could be introduced from London to destinations such as Bolton, Rochdale and Grimsby and from Manchester to Derby and other parts of the East Midlands or Leeds to Cambridge.

Capacity freed up by HS2 on the existing mainlines could also be used to support growth in the rail freight sector.

No decisions on the use of this released capacity have yet been taken. As the scheme develops we will consider options for inclusion in the final timetables. This work will include consultation with passengers, communities and freight operators in order to finalise options.

The latest strategic case for HS2, being published today (Mon), says the project is critical for Britain's future transport network and for boosting economic growth across the country.

The economic potential of the Midlands and the north is being restrained by poor connectivity and weakness in infrastructure, it adds. City regions in these areas are between 10 and 17 per cent below average productivity for the UK.

Once completed 30 million people will be served by HS2 across over 25 stations, helping to change the economic geography of the country, and bring prosperity to the Midlands, the north, and beyond.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Anyone travelling to work by train each day will know we desperately need extra capacity. Demand for rail travel is rocketing and our ageing infrastructure is struggling to cope. 

“Building HS2 will create vital new capacity on our rail lines, giving inter-city customers a faster and more reliable service and freeing up space on local lines, making everybody’s journeys more comfortable and convenient. HS2 will bring businesses, employees and customers in our regions closer together resulting in increased competitiveness for the north and Midlands and rebalancing our economy.”