HS2 Ltd launched two new public consultations on the Phase 2b route, which will serve communities between the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds. The 10-week consultations, which close on 21 December, will give communities the opportunity to formally respond to HS2 Ltd’s designs and proposed mitigation measures for the Phase 2b route.
Responses are invited from the public on HS2 Ltd’s working draft Environmental Statement, which describes the design of the railway and reports on the impacts of its construction and operation and on the working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report, which considers the potential effects of the construction and operation of the railway on people with protected characteristics.
Through the public consultations, we are providing a more detailed account of how we propose to build the railway and minimise its impacts during construction and operation. We actively encourage people to have their say on the plans we have published today,” Leonie Dubois, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Consultation and Engagement, said.
Services on Phase 2b of HS2 will begin in 2033, extending the high-speed network to Manchester and Leeds, and beyond.
The Phase 2b line forms a Y shape, split into an eastern and a western leg. The western leg will connect to the high-speed lines at Crewe and run through to Manchester. The eastern leg will connect to high speed lines in the West Midlands and run through to Leeds. Services will also travel onwards to places like Glasgow, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan.
HS2 destinations on the Phase 2b route will benefit significantly from the jobs and business growth that HS2 will bring to the region. Around 2,000 companies have already been awarded contracts working on the project, and it is expected that number to increase significantly as plans for Phase Two of the railway progress.
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