The government’s plans for the preferred route for phase 2 of HS2 have been announced, sparking eager anticipation for a more connected England and a raft of new engineering jobs. The second part of the high speed rail line will run from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds, with capacity for more than 300,000 people per day.
Businesses on-board
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) announced that the decision to go ahead with building the entire HS2 line was beneficial to the economy.
“For many business communities, especially in the cities of the Midlands and the north, the confirmation of HS2’s route north of Birmingham will come as a real boost,” said Adam Marshall, director-general of the BCC.
He suggested that any further consultations shouldn’t set the project back, adding: “Business communities want to see the decision-making process for HS2 continue at pace, and will be pleased that the government has moved to award the first big contracts for the project.”
The government has already given a £900m contract for enabling works to companies such as Costain, BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Laing O’Rourke. This means that work on the first phase of HS2 will commence next year as planned.
127,000 jobs to be created
The £56bn project will create approximately 25,000 jobs during its construction, plus an additional 2,000 apprenticeships. The government anticipates that up to 100,000 jobs will also be generated within the wider economy, as transport capacity is increased and journey times slashed.
This is welcome news for the jobs’ market, with a range of roles up for grabs, from engineering to project management jobs.