Businesses push government to extend HS2 line

The High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) is advocating for the UK government to extend the HS2 rail line to Crewe, asserting that a shorter route would squander its economic benefits. In their detailed submission to the Treasury, they proposed six key requests, including a shift to a "Euston-Crewe core" and prioritizing funding for connections from the West Midlands to Crewe over the current plan to halt at Handsacre. Major rail industry firms like Arup, Hitachi, and Alstom comprise the HSRG, which warns that cutting HS2 short could stifle the economic growth it aims to stimulate. They also emphasized the need to extend safeguarding measures on land between Birmingham and Crewe, which were recently lifted, to protect it from conflicting developments. Furthermore, the group suggested that connecting HS2 to the West Coast Mainline ten miles south of Crewe could yield significant cost savings, although they have not provided a specific estimate.

Jim Steer, a director of the group, expressed that the current plans make it challenging to deliver substantial economic value from HS2. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport confirmed their commitment to improving rail connectivity in the Midlands and northern England, with a review of HS2's status underway. The outcome of the Treasury's spending review is expected by spring 2025.