HS2 Route Announcement

Cheshire East Council today welcomed plans that will bring a huge economic boost for Crewe.

The proposed route will take this new line under Crewe and there will be a connection point from the new line to the West Coast Main Line south of Crewe. The proposed route does not directly affect our key historic towns and tourist assets, such as Tatton Park, and this is as a result of Cheshire East Council working with our MPs etc.

A HS2 connection at Crewe will enable two trains an hour from Liverpool to switch on to the new high speed line at Crewe to London and give a much-reduced journey time of 58 minutes.

This total connectivity will stimulate new investment and jobs in Crewe and the surrounding area. In addition to this, the maintenance depot for the Manchester branch HS2 line will be at Crewe – creating more than 300 jobs.

Council Leader Michael Jones today said: ""This is great news for the 44,000 people who live in Cheshire East and own a business in the area and beyond. It is great news if you are seeking to invest.

"High Speed 2 is fantastic news for most of our residents. However, as we celebrate the news for Crewe, we should also strive to ensure any disruption is minimised and also that our beautiful land in Cheshire East is protected.

"I will work hard to minimise the impact along the proposed route and ensure that residents, businesses and landowners affected will receive the appropriate compensation in a timely manner. I will also be working hard to ensure that the environmental impact along the new line is minimised.

"I will now continue to lobby hard for a new dedicated HS2 station at Crewe in the tunnel directly under the existing station, creating a fully-integrated hub station between HS2 and the existing Rail network. This solution would provide even greater connectivity for Crewe, Cheshire East and the whole of the North West and North Wales, with a focus on a much wider range of destinations.

"The estimated cost of a hub station at Crewe is £200m. The cost for UK plc of not doing this – as a result of the loss of economic performance and social costs in areas such as North Wales, Stoke and Liverpool – could be as much as £2 billion. I will be developing this argument strongly as part of our process of active lobbying for the new station.

"With this 360 degree connectivity secured, I believe that we will have then achieved the maximum economic benefits for UK plc and for the local people and businesses of Cheshire East."

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