On November 30th 2015, the Secretary of State for Transport set out the progress being made with HS2, showing strong support in the Spending Review with a revised budget at £55.7bn in updated (2015) prices for the whole project. A raft of papers was released by DfT and HS2 Ltd in support of these announcements.
The Secretary of State identified three major new developments:
1. Confirmation of the Government’s intention to accelerate the route from Fradley in the West Midlands to Crewe (‘Phase 2a’) so that it opens six years earlier than planned, in 2027.
2. The release of Government funding to support the work of the Northern Gateway Partnership2 to develop its growth and regeneration plans.
3. Commitment to the full Y network, with Government undertaking the further technical and economic analysis required for decisions on the rest of the Phase 2 route (‘Phase 2b’) to be made in autumn 2016.
He also announced an improved proposal for the HS2 station at Leeds, which will now be integrated with the existing central Leeds City station.
Our latest publication summarises in turn the key points in relation to Phase 2a, Phase 2b and (briefly) the implications for Phase 1. Download the publication here: November 2015 marks a major milestone for HS2