Transport secretary has confirmed the majority of the preferred HS2 route from Crewe to Manchester as well as the West Midlands to Leeds.
Phase 2 of this major train project is expected to start operating trains from 2033 as part of the actual HS2 network.
Plans that recently came up to include a new station in Sheffield have not been included in the latest route map after the proposal for the Meadowhall shopping centre was unsuccessful.
HS2 has suggested sending the train straight into the existing city centre instead, saving £1 billion but will at the same time also cut through a brand new housing estate.
Furthermore, a consultation is ongoing for a total of seven areas that need some substantial refinements and are due to have their final decision by next year.
Phase 2b consist of the western part of the network from Crewe to Manchester and the eastern section from the West Midlands to Leeds, adding connections to the existing rail network at Golborne for the West Coast main line, Church Fenton for the East Coast main line, and Clayton and Clay Cross for the existing network north and south of Sheffield.
Brand-new HS2 stations will be constructed in Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport, Leeds and Toton.
Whilst the major projects has had its fair share of criticism, not least over the giant price tag of £56 billion, the Government stuck with it, saying the result will boost the economy by billion once it’s finally up and running.
Grayling said: “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.
The first Phase is due to open seven years earlier, in December 2026,w ith the first trains running between London and Birmingham.
The overall hope is that the new line will give the country bigger capacity for both, passengers and freight as well as improving connections.
In numbers, the new HS2 trains will carry over 300,000 people every day and will triple seats available out of Euston at peak hours.
