The extension of UK’s new High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project is set to move a step forward on Monday (24 January), as the government introduces a bill to build the track linking Crewe to Manchester.
The government said the move would create a “new transport spine” across north-west England, which would reduce journey times and boost economies in the region.
HS2 continues to be mired in controversy over its cost and environmental impact, with protesters against the project also launching a “national day of action” on Monday.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps cancelled the planned eastern leg of HS2, which had been due to run between the East Midlands and Leeds, when he launched the government’s new Integrated Rail Plan in November.
Shapps said the Crewe-Manchester extension, known as Phase 2b, would include building new high-speed stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester airport. It is likely to open between 2035 and 2040.
The new line would help to cut journey times from London to Manchester by 55 minutes and between Birmingham and Manchester by up to 45 minutes.
The first stage of HS2 is currently being built between London and Birmingham, which is expected to open between 2029 and 2033.
Part of the new high-speed line will also be used for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) services between Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, which will be built at “a later date”.
Shapps said: “We are determined to improve transport connections and level up communities across the country, and this bill marks a landmark moment as we bring HS2 to Manchester and lay the foundations for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
“Our £96 billion investment in rail in the North and Midlands and in connecting them to London will bring communities together, create thousands of jobs and make towns and cities in these key areas more attractive to business up to 10 years quicker than under any previous plans.”
Chris Fletcher, marketing and campaigns director at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, added: “It will promote economic growth, trigger business investment, unlock labour markets and enable regeneration of areas that desperately need levelling up.
“HS2, therefore, is not merely about reducing travel times. It is an essential part of levelling up.”
But protest groups, including Stop HS2 North and HS2 Rebellion, are teaming up for a day of action on Monday with a series of events planned in major UK cities.
They argue that the latest stage of the rail project would “sanction immense and irreversible destruction to the environment”.