HS2 celebrates hitting 20,000 jobs landmark

The announcement comes a year aftere Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Interchange station site in Solihull to announce formal start of construction on London-Birmingham phase of the project.

Work has continued on phase one of HS2 throughout the Covid pandemic and in the past 12 months, HS2 has launched its first two giant tunnel boring machines, won approval from Parliament to extend the route to Crewe, and received planning approvals for new state-of-the-art stations at Interchange in Solihull, Curzon Street in Birmingham, and Old Oak Common in West London.

The project continues to be controversial, with environmentalists lining the route. The cost, now expected to be more than £100 billion, has also spiralled.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s been an incredible year of progress as work continues across the country to deliver a new backbone of Britain’s transport network."

Companies right across the country now form part of HS2’s ever growing supply chain. Contracts have already been awarded to over 2,200 businesses, 97 per cent of which are UK-based. A further £25 billion worth of opportunities are expected to flow out into the wider supply chain over the coming years.

Mr Shapps added: “While there have been some issues with the project in the past, hitting the landmark of 20,000 jobs underlines the unstoppable momentum HS2 now has."

He said reaching the 20,000 jobs landmark was testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the project.

"By providing work for tens of thousands of people in the UK right now, HS2 is helping the country to build back better after Covid-19, as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs.

"HS2’s jobs boost is also benefitting those in need, with bespoke initiatives designed to upskill local people who are out of work with the training and accreditation they need to secure a job on HS2. 1,100 individuals who were formerly unemployed have now secured sustainable employment on HS2, and that number is expected to increase in the months and years ahead as the pace of major construction work increases and HS2’s journey extends north."

Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, said: “We’re enormously proud of the progress we’ve made on HS2 since the Prime Minister gave us the go-ahead last year, and despite the challenges of the pandemic. We’ve already launched our first two tunnelling machines, with more to launch in the coming months, and construction of our stations and depots are well underway.

“HS2 is moving forward, creating jobs, enhancing skills, benefiting UK businesses and building a low carbon, high capacity railway that will change the way we travel in Britain.”

The first phase of the HS2 project links the capital to Birmingham. Preparatory work has also started on the second phase, from Birmingham to Manchester. The A38 in Staffordshire is due to close for periods of time to allow for the work on the route, which will travel north through the county, close to the Shropshire border.