The government announcement confirming the extension of HS2 to Crewe is superb news for the town according to the Town Council.
The HS2 line is to be extended from the Midlands to Crewe by 2027. The high speed line will connect to the rest of the rail network at a hub station. Trains will run at high speed from London and Birmingham to Crewe, from where they will continue onwards at normal speeds to Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales and Scotland.
“We are delighted with today’s announcement” said Simon Yates, Leader of Crewe Town Council. “We have consistently lobbied for a HS2 station at Crewe because it will bring much needed regeneration to town. Crewe started life as a railway town, and although we have some great modern companies like Bentley here today, it is fitting that a further stage in our development will be triggered by a new railway line. The challenge for us now is to make sure that the new station is positioned so as to create the greatest economic benefits for the existing town, and stimulate the redevelopment of some of our brownfield land.”
No decision has been taken on the location of the new hub station and further announcements followed by consultation are expected late next year. The conclusion of the statement is clear in saying that the scheme for a hub station will need to ‘bring benefits to Crewe town’.
Further detailed information is available here
The conclusion of the Crewe section of the HS2 report dealing with the hub station is reproduced below:
