Benefits of phase one make case for new phases despite rumours of eastern branch being mothballed.
HS2 is one of the most complex and costly infrastructure projects on Earth, which means the huge economic impact being felt during construction of phase one is likely to be crucial to future phases being supported.
HS2 CEO Mark Thurston focused on exactly this in an open letter to the HS2 Residents’ Commissioner this month, writing: “Across the project, the construction of the railway is already supporting over 16,000 jobs, including 650 apprenticeships, and over the next decade will provide around 400,000 supply chain opportunities.”
That economic value is already set to spread into a second phase.
“On Phase 2a, the High-Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Act 2021 received Royal Assent in February this year. This was another major milestone for the project, enabling us to progress the next phase of the HS2 network, by extending the high-speed rail line to Crewe in Cheshire and accelerating the benefits of HS2 to the Midlands, North West of England, Wales and Scotland.”
The fact that the CEO of HS2 holds such public conversations with residents along the route is highly symbolic of the complexity involved. The route passes through some of the most densely developed and populated regions in the world, as well as through areas of countryside and small communities that are heavily projected by the UK’s extensive conservation and planning laws.
That has resulted in HS2 becoming one of the most costly infrastructure projects in history, with estimates now running to $133bn. For context, HS2 will cost more than $1bn for every three miles of its eventual 330-miles of high-speed track. That is extremely expensive by global rail standards. Nigeria, for example, is building an almost 1000-mile coastal railway for $11bn, while a new 236-mile high-speed line in Texas will connect Houston and Dallas for $16bn.
With that in mind, the next step for HS2 is to secure vital public support for Phase 2b West, which would run north from Crewe to Manchester. Government is preparing a hybrid bill to examine that phase and HS2 is already working with residents along its route to highlight opportunities available.
Mark explained: “Last month we shared an update on the western leg to help communities understand the proposals in their area, the steps that will lead up to the publication of the hybrid bill, and how the bill process will work once it is introduced in Parliament. We have also shared information about groundwork investigations starting to take place and the jobs, skills and education opportunities offered by HS2 in areas along and surrounding the route.”
“We have reached out to 142,000 properties along the western leg route and also offered one-to-one appointments to those directly affected by the proposals. We are currently holding a programme of public events for communities to find out more information and discuss any questions with our teams. These events are being held both online and in-person, as we start to be able to gradually reintroduce face-to-face engagement, which we have previously had to postpone during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
With HS2 becoming something of a global talking point for managing complex political and community needs, it is perhaps not surprising Mark Thurston will be a keynote speaker on the subject of megaprojects and leadership at September’s Global Infrastructure Conference. But that doesn’t mean progress is linear.
Since his open letter was published, HS2 has been beset by a new rumour in the national press that Phase 2B East – the eastern counterpart to Phase 2B West, may be put on hold. Reports suggest that government is keen to find ways to save money following Covid-19 and one option is to mothball the Birmingham to Leeds stretch that connects the east of the country to the high-speed network.
This phase has yet to be incorporated into legislation but cancelling or even delaying it will still prove difficult for Government precisely because it has built up strong local support, with large parts of the public keen to secure their region the same benefits generated by Phase 1. Political leaders and representatives in the region have also called on the government not to leave their half of the country out from the benefits of HS2, and some areas have already started investing in stations for the new line.
