HS2: Preferred route is revealed for high-speed rail project
The Government has set out its preferred route for the northern section of HS2.
Phase 2 of the high speed rail project will see the line run from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.
It will cut a 45-mile swathe through Staffordshire countryside from Lichfield to Stone.
The link to the West Coast Main Line will be from Handsacre providing a new hourly service to Stafford which has also been hailed as a gateway to the Black Country.
The Government has claimed that passengers travelling on the East Coast and West Coast main lines will benefit from more services and extra seats once HS2 is up and running although the current estimate for completion of all of phase 2 is not until 2033.
Phase 1 of the £55.7 billion HS2 railway is due to open in December 2026 and will see trains travel at high speed between London and Birmingham before running on from Birmingham on the existing West Coast Main Line.
A second Y-shaped phase will open in two stages. Phase 2a from the West Midlands to Crewe will launch in 2027 and phase 2b, from Crewe to Manchester and from the West Midlands to Leeds, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands, will open in 2033.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Our railways owe much to the Victorian engineers who pioneered them, but we cannot rest on their legacy when we face overcrowding and capacity problems.
"HS2 is an ambitious and exciting project and the Government is seizing the opportunity it offers to build a transport network fit for the 21st century, one that works for all and makes clear to the world that Britain remains open for business.
"The full HS2 route will be a game-changer for the country that will slash journey times and perhaps most importantly give rail passengers on the existing network thousands of extra seats every day. They represent the greatest upgrade to our railway in living memory.
"But while it will bring significant benefits, I recognise the difficulties faced by communities along the route. They will be treated with fairness, compassion and respect and, as with Phase 1, we intend to introduce further compensation which goes over and above what is required by law."
Reacting to the latest announcement, Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins said: "I am very pleased to see the indication that Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent would receive a high speed service via the Handsacre junction under the preferred scenario and we will work closely with partners to maximise the economic benefits to the area resulting from this.
"Once built, HS2 will run through 45 miles of Staffordshire and we will continue to work with communities, HS2 Limited and the Department for Transport to mitigate the impact during construction and operation and get the best result we can for Staffordshire people."
Mr Atkins said he would continue to ensure Staffordshire's voice is heard by the Government. He said: "We have always said that we would ensure our community's voice was heard at the highest level."
