Under an agreement with Bruntwood, one of the UK’s leading property providers, HS2 Ltd will purchase the second site for the construction of Manchester high-speed station.
The procurement of Square One on Travis Street in the city centre is the second major property acquisition in just over 12 months, following its purchase of the Store Street site in April 2021. Both sites have been purchased by HS2, on behalf of the Department for Transport, and are pivotal to the creation of the new high-speed station that will be built adjacent to the existing Piccadilly Station.
The new station includes six platforms at surface level allowing passengers to access both HS2 and future Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) services. The plans also include provision for a new four platform Metrolink station beneath the HS2 station.
“Following submission of the Bill earlier this year, seeking powers to construct and operate the railway between Crewe and Manchester, this acquisition represents another major milestone in our programme to bring high speed rail to the North,” Ruth Todd, Chief Commercial Officer at HS2 said.
A large proportion of the area surrounding Piccadilly station is underdeveloped, making it a prime location for investment in new commercial space, housing and public realm.
Investment would see businesses, residents and visitors benefit from a 41 minute connection to Birmingham on HS2, a 46-minute saving, with direct services from London Euston set to more than halve, cutting one hour and 12 minutes off the current fastest journey time.
Early works supporting construction of the new Piccadilly high speed station are not forecast to commence until at least 2025. HS2 has agreed leasehold terms with Square One’s existing tenants to enable them to remain in situ until the site is required.
Manchester high-speed station is expected to be opened in 2035 and 2040.
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