Government confirms second phase of high-speed rail link
The government has confirmed the route for the second phase of high-speed rail line HS2, from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.
The first phase of the £56 billion railway is due to open in December 2026 and will enable trains to travel at high speed between London and Birmingham before continuing on the existing West Coast Main Line.
The second, Y-shaped phase, extending the high-speed line to the north-west, including Manchester Airport, Yorkshire and further afield, is due to be completed by about 2032-33.
The 250 mph line is expected to shave about an hour off journey times between London and Manchester.
Most of the route for the second phase was published today, however it still doesn’t include a final decision about where to site a new station in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The government’s preferred option is for the main HS2 route to run east of Sheffield but for a spur to take passengers to the city centre.
Another spur will take HS2 to a new station at Manchester Airport.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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