David Higgins Recommends New HS2 Plans For South Yorkshire

Alternative recommendations for HS2’s route and station proposals in South Yorkshire have been revealed today following publication of a report by David Higgins.

The new option proposes that HS2 services between London and Sheffield would take a spur off the new north-south high speed line and travel directly to the existing Sheffield Midland station using the existing railway line. These trains therefore could potentially also call at Chesterfield.

There is also the future option of HS2 services extending onwards to the existing Meadowhall station, Rotherham, or Barnsley.

A city centre station solution for Sheffield high speed services would allow the main HS2 line to be built east of the previously proposed route, through less densely populated areas that would avoid the complexities of building a line via Meadowhall.

The newly proposed route would it is hoped cut journey times on services heading to Leeds, York and Newcastle, and would also reduce the cost of the project by around £1billion.

HS2 Ltd will also investigate the possibility of a parkway station on this newly proposed route, which in part follows the M18 motorway.

Announcing his proposals HS2 Ltd Chairman, David Higgins said:

“Projects of HS2’s size, scale and significance should seek to provide the maximum benefit for the people they serve.

I have listened to the very constructive comments and discussions that have taken place on how HS2 should best serve South Yorkshire and recommend the option of HS2 services using the existing city centre station.

Decisions of this scale sometimes involve compromise, and through dialogue I believe we have reached the best solution for South Yorkshire.”

Welcoming the alternative plans Chair of the Sheffield City Region LEP Sir Nigel Knowles said:

“HS2 is a vital investment in the Sheffield City Region’s future. I am delighted that we have had the time to work constructively to ensure the city region could be best served by Britain’s new high speed rail network, which we expect to include trains calling at Chesterfield in the south of the city region, a parkway station as well as the line into the centre of Sheffield.

Connectivity with the rest of the UK is a major factor in achieving our growth plans. Of equal importance is the inter-connectivity within the North, via HS3, and we look forward to working with the government and other partners to bring that into fruition as quickly as possible.

So I welcome David Higgins’ report and look forward to the Secretary of State’s decision in due course.”

Using the existing Sheffield Midland station for HS2 services also opens up the possibility of running high speed trains from Sheffield to Leeds by building a link back onto the main HS2 line north of Sheffield.

This link could deliver Transport for the North’s (TfN) ambition for a frequent 30 minute journey time between Leeds and Sheffield, and might also be used by Birmingham-Leeds HS2 services, allowing them to route through Sheffield.

In response to the announcement from HS2 Ltd, about the recommended Sheffield station solution, the leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Judith Blake said:

“I welcome this announcement, which completes the proposals for the eastern leg of HS2.

“We now need government to prioritise their phase two route decision and make a strong commitment to deliver this project at the earliest opportunity.

“We will continue to push for this certainty and for the building of the eastern leg to be advanced so the benefits of high-speed rail can be felt across the whole of the north as soon as possible.

“Accelerating the pace of construction and building from the north continue to be priorities for partners across the city region.

“High speed rail will have a transformative effect on cities, towns and regions both on and off the route, in terms of new jobs, skills, regeneration and business opportunities. Along with the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, communities across the north will benefit from better connections and faster journey times.

“We understand that the line of route decision is an important one for our communities. We continue to press HS2 Ltd for mitigation of the line of route and to review compensation arrangements for those adversely affected."

The Secretary of State for Transport will now consider David Higgins’ report in detail and make an announcement on the full HS2 Phase 2 route later this year.