News: South Yorkshire waits on HS2 station location

An announcement will be made in the autumn on the proposed location of a station in South Yorkshire on the UK's £32.7 billion high speed rail network, HS2.


The first phase of the HS2 project will see the construction of a new 140 mile line between London and Birmingham by 2026. The second phase was detailed in January and will see lines extending north from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds by 2033, including the construction of an intermediate station in South Yorkshire.

HS2 Ltd, the organisation set up by the government to develop and promote the project, is currently engaged in detailed planning work for options for the routes to the north, including the location of the station in South Yorkshire.

By the end of this month, they will provide their route and station advice to the government for high speed rail lines to Leeds, Manchester and Heathrow. HS2 Ltd's advice will include options for stations in Manchester, Leeds, South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and at Heathrow Airport, as well as advice on the case and potential locations for additional stations.

Justine Greening, the Rotherham-born Transport Secretary, said: "I will consider this advice objectively and in detail over the coming months, and I intend to publish it in the autumn together with a Government response setting out initial preferred route and station options.

"An important part of this process will be to consider the views of delivery partners in the cities where HS2 stations may be located, including any underpinning evidence which they have identified.

"Understanding local desires and plans for development will be crucial in helping me reach initial preferences for station locations. I am particularly keen to ensure that the network best supports the economic potential of the cities and regions it serves, through well-integrated station locations that build on local and regional plans."

Following publication, a full public consultation will be launched and completed before any decisions can be reached.

On the high speed rail network, journey times are set to be reduced significantly with trains travelling up to 250 mph. A journey from London to Sheffield currently takes two hours eight minutes. That would be reduced to one hour 15 minutes.

At present values, the government estimate that it will generate benefits of up to £47 billion and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over a 60-year period.

HS2 website

Images: dft.gov.uk