HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation Presented to Parliament by the Minister of State for Transport by Command of Her Majesty October 2020 CP 288 Volume 1 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 1 02/10/2020 10:24 © Crown copyright 2020 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/official-documents Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] ISBN 978-1-5286-2151-9 CCS0920223190 10/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum. Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 2 02/10/2020 10:24 Contents Foreword 4 Executive Summary 6 1. Introduction 7 2. Proposed design refinements and next steps 15 Summary of each of the proposed design refinements 16 Crewe Northern Connection and changes to the design of Crewe North Rolling Stock Depot 18 Changes to the design of Manchester Airport High Speed station 25 Changes to the design around Manchester Piccadilly High Speed station 30 The introduction of a new train stabling facility at Annandale, in Dumfries and Galloway 43 Freedom of Information 48 How to respond and next steps 49 Annex A: Consultation Principles 51 3 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 3 02/10/2020 10:24 Foreword The Government is committed to taking forward High Speed Two (HS2) to transform our national rail network, bring our biggest cities closer together, boost productivity and level up opportunity fairly across the country. Work on HS2 Phase One from London to Birmingham is already well underway at over 250 active sites, and we have announced contracts worth around £10bn, for which two thirds will go to small and medium enterprises. Legislation for Phase 2a, from Birmingham to Crewe, is currently being considered by Parliament and we hope for Royal Assent by the end of the year. In line with the Oakervee recommendation to deliver HS2 Phase 2b in smaller sections, this consultation deals with four technical refinements to the Western Leg of Phase 2b, from Crewe to Manchester: a newly proposed facility for stabling rolling stock at Annandale in Scotland; changes to the already proposed rolling stock depot at Crewe; expansions to the stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport; and a new Crewe Northern Connection, which would also support the vision for a Crewe Hub. Your responses will inform the design of the railway and the development for the HS2 Phase 2b parliamentary legislation. The Government has also, however, accepted the Oakervee recommendation that plans for HS2 and other major schemes need to be brought together in an Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) for the North and Midlands. The IRP will set out the form, scope and phasing of the Phase 2b route, and the Government will therefore consider responses to this consultation alongside the IRP outcomes. If the IRP favours any changes to these elements, such as an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly, further redesign will need to take place. This consultation seeks to ensure that unnecessary delay is avoided in the event that the IRP does not support change. Restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic mean that we may not be able to hold local information events in the same way that we usually would as part of our formal consultation process. In this case, HS2 Ltd will deliver information events via digital platforms instead. These will allow you the same opportunities to best understand what refinements are being proposed and to ask any questions that you may have to our representatives. Details will be published separately and circulated to local authorities and those who have previously asked HS2 Ltd to keep them informed about events in their area. 4 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 4 02/10/2020 10:24 HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg – Design Refinement Consultation Engagement with affected communities is at the heart of our plans for HS2 and it is our commitment to ensure we listen to those affected by these proposals. I look forward to hearing your views on the proposed refinements to the Western Leg of Phase 2b outlined in this consultation. Andrew Stephenson Minister of State for Transport 5 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 5 02/10/2020 10:24 Executive Summary 1. The Government is today launching a national consultation to seek the views of affected and interested parties to allow the Minister of State to make an informed decision on four proposed changes to the Phase 2b Western Leg route. 2. The four proposed design refinements include: ● A new Crewe Northern Connection and changes to the design of the Crewe North Rolling Stock Depot. ● Changes to the design around Manchester Airport High Speed Station. ● Changes to the design around Manchester Piccadilly High Speed Station. ● The introduction of a new trains stabling facility at Annandale, in Dumfries and Galloway. 3. Further details on each of the proposed refinements are outlined in the next chapter. 4. We will be holding digital information events to support the consultation. Members of the HS2 team will be available at these events to help answer questions about the proposed changes to the scheme and Phase 2b in general. Further details can be found at: www.hs2.org.uk/events. 5. The Minister of State is also today announcing the Government’s decisions on the HS2 Phase 2b Design Refinements to the Western Leg that were consulted on in June 2019. The High Speed Two: Design Refinement Consultation Response document is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hs2-phase-2b-western-leg-design- refinement-consultation. 6 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 6 02/10/2020 10:24 1. Introduction Background 1.1 High Speed Two (HS2) is the new high speed railway proposed by the Government to connect major cities in Britain. It will be built in phases. Phase One will see a new high speed line constructed from Euston to the north of Birmingham, where it will join the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML). New high speed trains will serve Birmingham City centre and an interchange station designed to serve the wider West Midlands. At Old Oak Common in West London, a new interchange will be built connecting HS2 with Crossrail and the Great Western Main Line. 1.2 In the November 2015 Command Paper: High Speed Two: East and West, the Next Steps to Crewe and Beyond, the Government announced its intention to accelerate the delivery of the section of Phase Two between the West Midlands and Crewe (Phase 2a). At the northern end it will connect with the WCML to the south of Crewe to allow HS2 services to join the WCML and call at Crewe Station. 1.3 In November 2016, the Government published High Speed Two: From Crewe to Manchester, the West Midlands to Leeds and beyond. This confirmed the majority of the Government’s preferred route for Phase 2b of HS2, completing the full Y network. 1.4 In seven areas where the proposed refinements were substantial, the Secretary of State launched a further route refinement consultation in November 2016 to seek the views of communities and other interested parties. In July 2017, the Secretary of State confirmed the full Phase 2b route by taking decisions on the seven areas where proposed route refinements were put forward. The 2017 Phase 2b route decision document can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-phase- 2b-route-decision 1.5 In November 2016, the Government also launched a consultation on property compensation schemes, High Speed Two Phase 2b Crewe to Manchester, West Midlands to Leeds Property Consultation 2016. The Government’s decisions following this consultation are addressed in a separate document at https://www.gov.uk/ government/consultations/hs2-crewe-to-manchester-west-midlands-to-leeds- property-consultation-2016 7 10961-DfT-HS2 DRC2 Response Western Leg Late Stage_V9.indd 7 02/10/2020 10:24 HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg – Design Refinement Consultation 1.6 In 2017, the Government launched a consultation on the Crewe Hub. The decisions following this consultation can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/687000/crewe-hub- consultation-response-web.pdf 1.7 In October 2018, the Government launched a consultation on the working draft Environmental Statement (ES). The consultation allowed members of the public and organisations to review and comment on preliminary environmental information and evolving design and mitigation. The working draft ES summary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hs2-phase-2b-working-draft- environmental-statement 1.8 The working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report (EQIA) was also consulted on during this time. The assessment considered the potential effects of constructing and operating Phase 2b on groups of people because of their age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, belief, sex and sexual orientation. The working draft EQIA can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hs2-phase-2b-working-draft-equality- impact-assessment-report 1.9 In June 2019, the Government launched a national consultation to seek the views of affected and interested parties to allow the Secretary of State to make an informed decision on 11 proposed changes to the Phase 2b route.