Rishi Sunak axes HS2 northern route: what it means for travel in Birmingham

Rishi Sunak has today (October 4) confirmed that he is axing the Birmingham to Manchester leg of High Speed Rail 2, the UK’s biggest infrastructure project in decades.

He has confirmed he will scrap plans for the northern leg of the line, meaning it will travel from London to Birmingham and not beyond.

The axed Birmingham to Manchester line is the second stage of HS2 to be axed following the scrapping of the eastern leg which would have run to Leeds.

There are now reports that West Midlands Andy Street is considering quitting after Rishi Sunak’s decison to axe the route. A source close to the region’s mayor, told the Guardian that ‘it is certainly possible that he will resign immediately after the prime minister’s speech.’

The speculation has grown through the week, and the PM took to the main stage at the Manchester Central Conference centre this morning to confirm the news. Mr Sunak addressed a packed out hall to deliver his speech.

Speaking at the conference, on HS2, he said he is “cancelling” the rest of the project, meaning everything outside of the London to Birmingham line. He added that “every single penny” saved from HS2 will go back into new transport projects in the North and Midlands, an amount which the PM says is £36 billion.

He added: “Every region outside of London will receive the same or more government investment than they would have done under HS2, with quicker results.”

What this will mean for transport in the West Midlands?

Sunak has said scrapping the northern leg of HS2 means more money will be available to spend on transport schemes in the Midlands.

He’s said he will use the £36 billion of savings from cutting the phase to fund other transport schemes in the North and the Midlands regions.

£9.6 billion is set to be reinvested into the Midlands, with £2.75 billion for the West Midlands.

The Government released a statement on Wednesday afternoon, revealing how the money will be spent, which you can see below:

• the Midlands will receive £9.6 billion alone – with £1.75 billion to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub in full, benefiting more than 50 stations and 7 million people
• the new East Midlands combined authority, covering Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, will be given a transport investment fund of £1.5 billion
• the number of trains between Leicester and Birmingham will be doubled from 2 to 4 per hour
• £2.2 billion for the Midlands to combat the potholes causing misery for drivers
• £230 million will be invested in increasing the frequency of bus services in the Midlands and the popular £2 bus fare will also be extended until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned

The Midlands Rail Hub will be delivered in full with £1.75 billion of increased investment to speed up journey times, increase capacity and boost frequency of services across the region.

The statement also said the Conservatives will look at opportunities to upgrade infrastructure, including at Tamworth, to improve journey times between towns and cities on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). This includes possible linkages between Birmingham and Nottingham together with support for strategic stations in the East Midlands.

It is said It will benefit more than 50 stations in Birmingham and the wider Midlands.

Recently, a spokesperson for the HS2 Rail Group, said: “Were phase 2 to be cancelled it would be a disaster for the North and the Midlands. After 13 years during which the Government has promoted the project, it would also be the ultimate U-turn. The government needs to kill the speculation and make its intentions clear, and it ought to commit clearly and unambiguously to delivering the project as planned. The 30,000 people delivering HS2 deserve this. Our future generations deserve this. The North and Midlands deserve this.”

What’s been said about the decision to axe HS2?

Commenting on the news, Sir John Peace, Chairman of Midlands Connect, said:“We are disappointed and disheartened by the HS2 announcement.

“We must not start from scratch, we must work at pace to deliver HS2 Phase 1 all the way to Euston. There are also lessons to be learnt from the HS2 story so far.

“The Midlands Rail Hub and road programmes including the A5 which have been announced today resonate with us, these are our transformational East-West priorities for the region, which we recommended and have been progressing with Government.

“We are now calling for more detail on timescales and plan of action, and asking for a high-level urgent meeting with ministers, to ensure these plans and the benefits for the Midlands are delivered as quickly as possible.

“We will now work, like we always do, cross-party and in an open and collaborative way with all involved.”