HS2 is on its way after 'yes' vote

Work on HS2, which will run between London and Birmingham, will now start in 2017.

The project was pushed through by a vote in the House of Commons last night, despite 41 MPs voting against it.

Five MPs from Staffordshire and the Black Country were among those who opposed the scheme, including Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant.

The MP was recently sacked as a Conservative vice-chairman for his opposition to HS2 and for outspoken remarks about the resignation of former culture secretary Maria Miller.

The high-speed line will cut through Staffordshire and is being opposed by the Tory-controlled county council. Two new stations will be built in Birmingham – one near to the airport and the other in Curzon Street in the city centre. Supporters say the first phase of the line promises tens of thousands of jobs and will help to provide new space for rail services as the existing, Victorian-built lines are full.

Click here to see of how all MPs voted

It also promises to cut the journey time between London and Birmingham to 49 minutes.

Mr Fabricant, who voted against his party on a major piece of legislation for the first time in his 22-year career, was joined in his rebellion by Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy and Stone's Bill Cash.

Other Tory rebels included Dudley South's Chris Kelly and Aldridge-Brownhills MP Sir Richard Shepherd.

Some 13 Labour MPs had also backed an amendment which had criticised the HS2 project and particularly ministers' refusal to publish the Major Projects Authority report into the risks of the scheme.

Ahead of the vote a senior Government minister threatened to resign over the scheme unless his constituency was guaranteed sufficient help dealing with the impact.

Europe Minister David Lidington, who missed the Commons vote because he was on an official trip to Estonia, vowed to sacrifice his job in future if he failed to secure adequate mitigation and compensation for the Aylesbury area.

The line won cross-party support with Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs joining the majority of Tories.

Mr Fabricant said: "The result was very disappointing, but inevitable. It is always unhealthy when the two main parties have to unite on a policy. Certainly, the Government knew that without Labour and Liberal-Democrat support in an un-holy alliance, the HS2 legislation would fail in the House of Commons."

Mr Kelly said he was also concerned about how HS2 would link up with existing rail lines.

"HS2 Ltd says the Black Country will benefit from HS2. However, to get from any part of the Black Country to the new HS2 station in Birmingham during the day will, optimistically, take at least an hour by car, more like 90 minutes in the usual levels of traffic, or longer by public transport. That's before the high speed train has left the station. Current Wolverhampton to London Euston and Sandwell and Dudley to London Euston services will be reduced and journey times extended."

But the Stafford-born transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin, a former Cannock Chase councillor, said: "Parliament has made a clear commitment to a key part of the government's long term economic plan. HS2 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create jobs and develop skills, provide the extra space we need on our rail network for commuters and freight and better connect our biggest cities.

"I am aware of the concerns some who live very close to the HS2 route have. I am ?confident however that by working together we can ensure this vital new north-south railway is designed in the right way, and we will have spades in the ground in 2017 as planned."

Yesterday afternoon campaigners descended on Parliament with banners and an inflatable white elephant to protest against the scheme.

Joe Rukin from the Stop HS2 campaign said: "We saw MPs willing to vote for a Bill because their party had told them to do so, knowing they did not all the facts, knowing that a Government report critical which was critical of HS2 was censored, because it would be harder for them to vote for it if everyone knew the truth."