HS2 – One Step Closer to Construction

Image Courtesy of the Department for Transport (DOT)

HS2, the new high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester took a big step to Construction being able to start in June 2017, as Parliament announced a debate on the new plans for its construction.

120 Alterations to the Design

A motion has been put forward in Parliment, which instructs the HS2 Select Committee to review more than 120 alterations that the government wishes to make to the HS2 Bill. The changes are a direct response to the discussions between HS2 Ltd and communities along the London to Birmingham route. Their petitions have been passed through the HS2 select committee process, and the subsequent changes will ensure that HS2 will be built in the best possible way.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said:

This motion is a major step forward both in terms of getting HS2 through Parliament and getting this vital railway built.

The changes to the bill show the government is listening to communities along the HS2 route. By working together, we can ensure this vital railway is designed in the right way, so we have spades in the ground in 2017 as planned.