HS2 go-ahead ‘will deliver opportunities’

North West business leaders have welcomed the news the HS2 high-speed rail link project has been given the green light by Boris Johnson and his government with predictions it will boost Lancashire’s economy.

The first phase of the new track will run between Crewe and London Euston via Birmingham, and is scheduled to be complete between 2028 and 2031.

A second phase will then connect Wigan and Manchester to Crewe, and Leeds to Birmingham. This should be complete between 2035 and 2040.

The project has proven controversial, with costs spiralling from £56bn to £106bn, as well as the path of the new track moving people out of their homes and passing through wildlife habitat.

However, once operational, HS2 will reduce overcrowding and speed up journey times. A trip from Manchester to Piccadilly to London currently takes more than two hours, but would be cut in half via the new route says the Department of Transport.