Campaigners question impact of high speed rail on economy

Figures from HS2 Ltd, the Government-owned company developing the new line, show that the two new stations due to be built in Yorkshire as part of the project are together expected to employ 18,200 people.

However, the redeveloped Euston station and new West London interchange at Old Oak Common will together employ 21,800 people while the Picadilly Station and the interchange at Manchester airport will together provide 30,000 jobs.

The promise of a boost to the Yorkshire economy has been one of the major planks of the case made by supporters of the HS2 scheme.

Critics argue that improving connections between cities outside London would be a more effective way of rebalancing the economy away from the South East.

Yorkshire Against HS2 campaign director Samuel Fisher said: “Whilst Manchester is expected to do well, major cities like Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield all do much worse than London.

“If we really want to bring change on the scale that is required to rebalance the economy, this is nowhere near acceptable.

“If we were truly seeking to redress the north-south divide then, for the largest national transport project a British government has ever proposed, we would expect these regional cities to appear much higher up the job creation table.

“Such an expectation is not ‘damaging London’ as some would suggest but the plain truth about what needs to happen if we are to achieve a revival of the economic fortunes of our northern cities. In short, as a nation, we need to look to create more jobs in northern cities than we do in London.”

HS2 will initially link London and Birmingham before it is extended in a Y-shape further north to Yorkshire and the North West.

The proposed route would see a new station built close to the Meadowhall shopping centre to serve South Yorkshire.

The line would then continue north and pass to the east of Leed, connecting with the existing network a few miles short of York.

A spur would take passengers into a new station to be built in the centre of Leeds close to the current headquarters of supermarket chain Asda.

It is estimated the line will cut journey times to London from Leeds and Sheffield to 82 and 69 minutes respectively.

Alison Munro, chief executive of HS2, said: “HS2 is an engine for growth that will bring enormous benefits for Yorkshire and the north by creating jobs and bringing the biggest cities closer together.

“Almost 20,000 regeneration and redevelopment jobs will be supported around the new stations in Leeds, Sheffield and Toton in the east midlands. There are also expected to be 10,000 construction jobs, as well as the operation and maintenance requirements.

“In addition, as the HS2 trains will run on to the existing east coast main line to serve York and Newcastle it will further unlock the potential and opportunities that the region has to offer making it an even more attractive place to locate and do business.”

The HS2 project has so far been largely welcomed in Yorkshire by councils and the business community that believe quicker journey times will help the regional economy attract inward investment.

However, people living near the proposed route have expressed concern about the potential for their homes to become blighted by the prospect of the new rail line.

Construction on phase two is not due to begin until the middle of the next decade with services to Yorkshire starting in around 2032.

Phase one of HS2 has already faced a series of legal actions from campaigners as well as vocal opposition from MPs representing constituencies along the route.