Press release

HS2 appoints design consultants for Birmingham - Crewe route

Plans to bring the benefits of HS2 further north, six years early, have taken a step forward with the appointment of consultants to provide detailed structural design and environmental services on the route between Birmingham and Crewe.

Crewe

The winning firms will also help HS2 Ltd prepare a second hybrid bill to provide the powers to bring the new rail link as far as Crewe by 2027, one year after the rest of Phase One.

Bringing forward this part of the project will help boost connectivity between the Midlands and the North and create a major transport hub allowing HS2 services to continue seamlessly to Liverpool, Manchester and further north.

Accelerating construction of the line was a key recommendation of HS2 Ltd Chairman Sir David Higgins, in his 2014 report, HS2 Plus.

The following companies have been appointed:

  • Ove Arup & Partners International Limited (civils and environmental services)
  • WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff (railway systems)
  • Mouchel Limited (site access, land referencing and stakeholder engagement services)

HS2 Ltd Chief Executive Simon Kirby said:

Bringing HS2 to Crewe six years early will dramatically boost connectivity and improve journeys for millions of people travelling between London, the Midlands and the major cities of the north.

That’s why I’m pleased to confirm that we have appointed Arup, Mouchel and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to help us push forward with the next stage of the detailed design and help prepare the draft legislation we will need to get Birmingham to Crewe open by 2027.

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Published 15 December 2015