Second phase of HS2 revealed
The £32.7 billion second phase of the high-speed rail line that will link the Midlands to cities in the north was revealed today – and will cut through large parts of the Staffordshire countryside.
The preferred HS2 route, designed to cut journey times, will see trains run north from Birmingham near Lichfield before passing villages such as Little Haywood near Rugeley.
It will then head east of Stafford before going north towards Stoke-on-Trent, passing close to Stone.
The Government hopes the project will also ease overcrowding and boost regional business, creating at least 100,000 jobs. The Department of Transport has announced there will be five stops on the 211-mile Y-shaped extension which is scheduled to be completed in 2032, six years after the first phase, which will link Birmingham with London.
It will go to Manchester, Manchester Airport, Toton between Nottingham and Derby, Sheffield and Leeds.
Speeds of up to 250mph will see journey times from Birmingham to Leeds cut to 57 minutes. There will also be a dedicated line alongside the high-speed line at Crewe to link up with standard trains, cutting journey times to Liverpool and Glasgow.
Officials have said there will be "a generous compensation package" for people living near the line.
Homeowners expected to fight route - See today's Express & Star
