All eyes are on HS2's eastern leg

摘要

With shovels in the ground at more than 200 separate work sites, HS2 Phase 1 is now not only emerging from the ground, it will be burrowing beneath it in early 2021, when tunnelling starts beneath the Chilterns. So, London-Birmingham is secure and happening. But what about north of Curzon Street, to Manchester via Lichfield and Crewe, and (crucially) the eastern arm through the long-neglected East Midlands? I immediately detect a certain distancing by HS2 from some proposed aspects of the scheme. This applies ever more to the eastern leg (but I'll come back to that). Thurston explains: "We are now - as HS2 Ltd - developing legislation for the western leg all the way into Manchester Piccadilly.