A report out today suggests the government should push ahead with the western side of HS2 into Manchester but delay its Eastern leg to Leeds while investing in regional lines instead.
The report by the National Infrastructure Commission which was asked by the Prime Minister in February 2020 to undertake an assessment of proposed major rail schemes to help inform the government’s Integrated Rail Plan has concluded that nitially prioritising links between nearby cities is likely to achieve greater economic benefits more quickly for the Midlands and the North than alternative schemes.
However The commission argued that the case for increasing capacity into Manchester through HS2 along the western side made sense because the start of that route, from Birmingham to Crewe, is already under development and adds that this does not rule out the further development of options to complete the HS2 Phase 2 eastern leg.
It notes that some elements of the major rail projects proposed for the Midlands and the North, including the Transpennine Route Upgrade, Midland Main Line electrification and some Midlands Engine Rail schemes, present opportunities for earlier delivery as work is underway already, or because they are independent of other major schemes.
Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said:
“Major rail schemes will be an important component in levelling up the country’s economic geography, but we should ensure public money is carefully spent where it can make the most difference.
“The number and scale of rail schemes currently being proposed for the North and Midlands mean that some form of prioritisation will be necessary, and we think there are ways of bringing forward benefits for communities and businesses while keeping options open for additional investments if the circumstances are right.
“Our independent analysis offers government various ways of targeting spending depending on the precise economic and social outcomes it wants to achieve.”
