Transport Secretary to Discuss Northern Rail Alternatives Following HS2 Cancellation

The transport secretary is scheduled to meet with metro mayors today to deliberate on alternative railway initiatives, following the cancellation of the HS2 line’s northern extension beyond Birmingham. Louise Haigh is set to convene with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to address future plans, given the abandonment of the proposed route connecting these regions. She explicitly stated that any proposal to revive the HS2 project to extend north of Birmingham to Crewe is not under consideration. Crewe had been designated as a stop on the initial HS2 blueprint before the previous government terminated the northern segment. The high-speed rail link will now operate solely between London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street. Earlier this year, Mayor Burnham and the then-West Midlands Mayor Andy Street confirmed their collaboration with a private business consortium to develop proposals for improved connectivity between the two cities. They indicated consideration of three distinct alternatives: upgrading the West Coast Main Line; implementing bypasses in the line’s most congested sections; and constructing an entirely new line, potentially along the path of the discontinued HS2 route. Connor Naismith, the Labour Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich, has formally communicated with ministers, advocating for Crewe’s inclusion in any proposed alternative to the northern section of HS2. “But I’m very clear we’re not resurrecting the plans for HS2, and HS2 Limited isn’t getting any further work beyond what’s been commissioned to Euston,” Haigh stated during an appearance on Sky News with Trevor Phillips on Sunday.