HS2 route to Manchester takes more steps forward

The HS2 high speed rail line will be one of the most significant infrastructure developments in Manchester’s history. Slashing journey times to London is expected to give our city another significant economic boost and create a huge number of jobs.

Construction on the line is underway, and the overall project has achieved two major milestones this week.

The first is the purchase of a major site next to Piccadilly Station where HS2 trains will arrive. The Square One building, currently the home of Network Rail, has been purchased by HS2 and the Department for Transport and will play a pivotal role in the construction of the new line.

It follows the previous purchase of a large carpark adjacent to the development in 2021, and demonstrates major progress.

Ruth Todd, chief commercial officer at HS2, referred to the purchase of Square One as a “major milestone” for the high-speed rail project.

“HS2’s purchase of Square One is a vote of confidence for investors locally and internationally to leverage the wider regeneration potential of the surrounding area, knowing that Manchester is set to become so brilliantly connected,” she said.

The second progress market this week was the legal groundwork being laid for the HS2 extension to Manchester in the Queen’s Speech via the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill.

This new stature is a major milestone and will underpin future work on the line which will eventually become HS2 Manchester. Now that it is progressing into law, the next phases of work can get underway and the benefits of the new line get closer for our city.

HS2 will be a major boost to Manchester once complete, and official estimates show that as many as 96,000 jobs may be created in the long term, with the economy of Greater Manchester potentially doubling in size up to £132bn annually.

The journey times from Manchester once the line is complete will be: