Eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds must go ahead of ‘levelling up’ is to succeed – Kate Jennings

Whilst the Prime Minister has repeatedly given his assurances regarding the route, which will run from the Midlands through to Leeds, rumours that it could be curtailed, delayed or even scrapped as part of the Government’s upcoming Integrated Rail Plan have been growing.

This has not been helped by perennial delays in the plan’s publication, adding fuel to the fire of those who would relish the curtailment of the scheme.

As the Government comes to a final decision, now is the time to make clear: It will struggle to deliver on its “levelling up” agenda if the HS2’s eastern leg doesn’t go ahead.

Not only would such a decision risk losing the substantial benefits of HS2 in Yorkshire, but also the unravelling of associated rail schemes including Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) – which combined are set to have a transformative impact on connectivity across the north of England, relieving congestion, improving reliability and speeding up journey times across the region and the country.

HS2 will create a major new station in Leeds, along with new services to Sheffield and York, whilst also releasing network capacity for other local services. For example, it is anticipated that the capacity released by HS2 on the existing railway through Wakefield could more than double evening peak seats from Leeds to Doncaster.

Simply put, Yorkshire deserves the many benefits that only HS2 combined with NPR can offer.

It was not a choice between Crossrail and HS2 for the South, and so it cannot be a choice between HS2 and NPR for the North.

The High Speed Rail Group’s latest report, HS2 Yorkshire and North East Voices, brings together contributions from leaders across the region in support of completing HS2 in full.

The scheme will transform Yorkshire’s regional economy, with the prospect of HS2’s arrival already stimulating development and supporting business location decisions.

As Paul Tetlaw, of Leeds law firm Addleshaw Goddard, argues in our report, securing high-speed rail is “a huge vote of confidence for the region”, acting as a spur for regeneration and growth at a moment when we are emerging from the biggest economic disruption in a generation.

HS2 is at the heart of the growth strategies of West Yorkshire and the Sheffield City Region which aim to provide more than £70bn to those economies.

Angela Barnicle, of Leeds Council, points to her city’s HS2 Growth Strategy, which will bring over £500m in investment and around 40,000 jobs.

How the Government chooses to proceed with HS2’s eastern leg will therefore be a test of whether the nation is prepared to stand strong and deliver. A long delay to realising the benefits of the eastern leg, or worse still, cancellation, would undermine efforts to drive growth in the region.

If Yorkshire is expected to wait until the 2040s or 2050s to experience benefits locally that will start accruing in the West Midlands and North-West from the early 2030s, the message to business will be clear: it is better to invest and take your jobs elsewhere.

As our contributors point out, there are some precursor investments such as improvements to the East Coast Main Line between York and Newcastle that are needed to support the roll-out of HS2 and NPR services, and they can start generating benefits well ahead of the delivery of HS2 phase 2b, which includes the eastern leg.

Increased rail connections will also provide the impetus to help achieve transport decarbonisation in the east of the country by enabling increased use of rail freight and offering passengers the choice of travelling by train. The strong environmental credentials of electrified rail that HS2 offers will play a significant role in the race to net zero.

In addition, the scheme is a huge investment in skills and expertise which has been building throughout phases 1 and 2a. Taking forward the eastern leg provides an even greater pipeline for deploying and growing these skills locally, increasing investment in low-carbon construction techniques, and building on the UK’s visibility as a centre of excellence – as well as a great place to invest in infrastructure and technology.

HS2 is a scheme that delivers for Yorkshire and this region must not be left behind in the connectivity revolution. When the Integrated Rail Plan is published, the Government’s decision must be to proceed with the eastern leg, delivering the modernised, integrated transport system that the North deserves and needs.

Kate Jennings is director of the High Speed Rail Group and policy director at the Railway Industry Association.

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