The Government announced its preferred route for Phase 2b of High Speed 2 today (November 15).
While broadly similar to that proposed in 2013, there are a number of changes on the ‘Y’-shaped network, which will connect Phase 1 of HS2 with Manchester Piccadilly, the East Midlands, Leeds and Sheffield.
Plans to serve West Yorkshire with a station at Meadowhall have been dropped in favour of a connection with existing routes to serve Sheffield Midland station. The Government is consulting on this and other proposed changes to the route.
The Western leg (from south of Crewe to Manchester) will be 51 miles long, while the Eastern leg will be 123 miles long. The estimated cost of Phase 2 is £28.5 billion, including £3.7bn for Phase 2a, which will connect Phase 1 in the West Midlands to Crewe.
Parliamentary Assent is expected in 2022, with commissioning and testing in 2032-33 and full services starting in 2033.
- For much more on this, read RAIL 814, published on November 23.
Andrewjgwilt1989 - 16/11/2016 22:06
And is there is a Phase 2c to be planned or plans for HS3 to be built after HS2 has been completed if the HS2 scheme gets the go ahead with London Euston to be redeveloped and to be renamed as London Central or London Euston International (just like London St. Pancras was renamed as St. Pancras International as HS1 was moved from London Waterloo International).