Certainty and clear direction are what HS2 has long needed, and this announcement of a new cost and schedule provides a path forward against which HS2 Ltd, industry and Government can work together to deliver for the country.
The challenges that have affected HS2 to date are now well understood across government, delivery bodies and the wider supply chain. There is a shared responsibility for all parties to learn from them. It is also essential that the lessons learned are now applied collectively to current and future infrastructure projects, providing the stability and continuity needed for and industry partners to deliver effectively.
HS2 remains a project of enormous national importance. It is supporting over 30,000 jobs, sustaining highly skilled workers and apprenticeships, and supporting SMEs and supply chains across all regions of the UK. It is vital that we retain these skills and capabilities so they continue to deliver long term value for the UK. The bridges, viaducts and tunnels delivered so far are also a testament to our nation’s continued engineering excellence.
Beyond construction, HS2 will provide lasting economic and transport benefits through increased passenger and freight capacity, improved regional connectivity, regeneration opportunities and broader economic growth.
As construction continues and despite setbacks to the delivery timeline, these benefits are already materialising. As the SOS referenced in her statement to Parliament, in Birmingham, there has been a significant increase in regeneration and investment activity close to the two HS2 stations, Birmingham Curzon Street and Interchange, while at Old Oak Common in London, construction is progressing at pace. The project is expected to generate an estimated £10 billion economic uplift across West London over the next decade.
HS2 should be the spine of a modern, integrated national railway that connects communities North, South, East and West. However, the success of HS2 depends not only on what is already being built, but on how it connects into the wider network. Without a credible plan for the connection to Crewe and beyond, there is a real risk the wider economic and capacity benefits the line was designed to deliver will not be unlocked.
With this reset, a line can start to be drawn under years of uncertainty. The priority now is for industry, Government and HS2 Ltd to work together to deliver HS2 within its revised scope, whilst developing a clear plan for how the new railway connects to the existing network further north.