Labour is set to reinstate Phase 2a of HS2 after the beleaguered rail project got scaled back under the previous administration.
Reports in LBC suggest the rail line, which is also likely to run into central London rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in west London, will now reach Crewe in the northwest after being cut short by RIshi Sunak.
Insiders close to the project say ministers have re-evaluated the cost-benefit analysis of HS2 and decided the railway should go beyond Birmingham.
LBC reported that the prime minister had held private discussions at Labour Party conference and a formal announcement was planned for 2025.
It also reported that Phase 2a would be delivered by a private consortium, according to its sources, and the government was preparing an “imminent” decision regarding the reinstatement of the line to its central London terminus at Euston.
A Crewe Town Council spokesperson said: “Obviously this is very interesting news and we are very eager to understand the details of any associated decisions, timescales and will be seeking clarity on the certainty of this development and its potential value and impacts for Crewe.”
Independent rail planning consultant William Barter said: “Inevitably we need to wait for confirmation, but if the reports are correct this is a very good move. Phase 2a should never have been cancelled in the first place.
“The existing railway between Colwich Junction and Crewe is one of the worst bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line. Not only does it have three at-grade junctions and a section of double track on a quadruple track route, but it is slow as the line twists to follow the River Sow. Upgrading it in any meaningful way is impracticable.
“Phase 2a or its proposed replacement would bypass this difficult section, leaving it free for freight and regional passenger trains, whilst giving a journey time saving of as much as 15 minutes to long-distance trains, if built to the alignment speeds proposed for Phase 2a.
“A decision to use the Phase 2a route for which land purchase powers exist would minimise the time taken to design and build the new line.
“An open question is exactly what to do at Crewe – for instance whether to persist with the planned tunnelled bypass line or run all trains through the existing station, and if the latter what remodelling of the existing station is necessary.
“Whilst welcoming the news, we need to recognise that people affected by the line have been told first that it was cancelled and now that it is back on again, but the responsibility for that cruelty lies firmly with Rishi Sunak and [former transport secretary] Mark Harper, and their advisers.”
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