Cheshire East Council leaders have welcomed a Government announcement for a public consultation on plans to build a HS2 Hub station in South Cheshire.
The consultation was unveiled today (July 17) by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling who confirmed Britain’s high speed rail lines to the North West, East Midlands and Yorkshire.
An upcoming bill for the section from the West Midlands to Crewe will act as a planning application, with the line expected to open in 2027 if approved by Parliament.
New plans for the route to Crewe include:
– The possibility of building a new hub station in Crewe to improve connections across the North West
– Potentially introducing HS2 services to Stoke
The government remains on track to open the link from London to Birmingham in 2026, the route to Crewe in 2027 and the routes to the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Manchester in 2033.
Major construction is due to start in 2018 to 2019.
The Government says new lines will free up thousands of extra seats and additional services on local lines, possibly doubling rush hour seats from Manchester Piccadilly towards Stoke and Crewe.
Cheshire East Council Leader Councillor Rachel Bailey said: “We welcome the Hybrid Bill for Phase 2a of HS2, from Birmingham to Crewe, being put before Parliament.
“This is a key milestone for this ‘once in a generation’ rail project, which will see a Crewe hub station opening in 2027.
“This council also welcomes further recognition of the overwhelming case for a HS2 hub station in Crewe.
“We are pleased to see that the Department for Transport has launched a consultation on the Crewe HS2 hub station and related components.
“The council will consider the consultation proposals in detail to ensure our consultation responses reflect the best possible outcomes for Cheshire East residents.
“This council and the Constellation Partnership (a sub-regional group of neighbouring local authorities and local enterprise partnerships) now look forward to the opportunity to vigorously press the case for the enormous benefits to the economy that an enhanced HS2 hub station at Crewe – with unrivalled 360-degree connectivity and up to seven high-speed trains an hour serving Manchester, Birmingham and London – would deliver, not only to the sub-region but also to the Midlands, North West, Wales and beyond.
“I would also reiterate that we wish to see the highest standards of mitigation and compensation for those people and businesses affected by the route.”
However, many have criticised HS2 because of the huge £56 billion cost, the destruction of large areas of green land such as south of Crewe.
Many also fear the cost of travelling on HS2 will be too high for many people.
You can read about the consultation for a Crewe HS2 hub station here.
The consultation is set to last until October 12, 2017.
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