Full steam ahead for HS2

Royal assent is to be granted for the HS2 London-to-West Midlands rail route today. The HS2 hybrid bill, which will become an act of parliament today, is expected to deliver an additional £14bn into the UK economy, according to GVA. The £1bn Curzon Investment Plan to regenerate the area surrounding the main HS2 terminal in Birmingham will extend the size of the city centre. In anticipation for HS2, HS2 Ltd has opened its construction headquarters in Birmingham and will employ up to 1,300 people. Businesses such as HSBC, Jacobs Engineering and Carter Jonas have citied HS2 as a major factor behind their city centre relocations. Global construction and support services firm Interserve is also building its new regional headquarters at UK Central in Solihull to take advantage of the planned Interchange Station, the first HS2 stop on the route out of London. The £22m National College for High Speed Rail, which will train the next generation of high-speed rail engineers, is building its Birmingham campus in the city’s Learning Quarter and is due to open in September. Bob Sleigh, chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “This is the news that the West Midlands has been waiting for. HS2 is going to happen and we’re ready to capitalise fully on the opportunities it offers to transform places, create jobs and attract investment. “Royal Assent is important because it makes HS2 an absolute reality and means the West Midlands can now fully deliver its HS2 ambitions. Those ambitions have a clear focus on jobs, apprenticeships, major investment at the two station sites in Solihull and Birmingham and millions of pounds of contract opportunities for West Midlands SMEs. “The arrival of HS2 and the associated improvements to our local transport infrastructure means we’ll be one of the best-connected parts of the UK. “My message to the people of the West Midlands and beyond who are wondering what HS2 will give them, is that this is so much more than a fast train. The arrival of HS2 will allow us to create a legacy and will help secure your future, your children’s future and probably your grandchildren’s future too.” Peter Davies, managing director of West Bromwich-based industrial components manufacturer Brockhouse Group, said: “This is the opportunity that West Midlands businesses have been waiting for, to pursue contract opportunities and showcase the region’s excellence and heritage as a centre for advanced manufacturing. “As a company we’ve been supplying steel components and forgings to the rail industry, from the heart of the Black Country, since 1885. HS2 will require over 2m tonnes of steel over its lifetime – so understandably, we’re excited. “For people living in the area, HS2 will put the Midlands on the map with the positive effects being felt on a tangible economic scale. Houses will be built, businesses grown, new businesses established and a lasting positivity left long after the engineers and construction teams finish the route.” • To send feedback, e-mail shekha.vyas@estatesgazette.com or tweet @ShekhaV or @estatesgazette