West Coast Rail 250 supports the delivery of High Speed 2. It has commissioned a report from Greengauge 21 (see Files tab) to assess the opportunities from the new line and the further work that is required to ensure that there is no detriment to existing services.
An overall summary of our position is set out below. The full position statement can be found in the Files tab.
West Coast Rail 250 supports the concept of new high speed rail services which provide benefits to the West Coast corridor.
In particular, West Coast Rail 250 supports the High Speed 2 scheme as it will support economic activity and connectivity on the West Coast Main Line by providing additional capacity and reducing journey times between key settlements.
Whilst additional investment will still be required on the current West Coast Main Line to ensure reliability and enhance local connectivity, High Speed 2 is the only intervention that will provide a step change in service provision on the corridor.
West Coast Rail 250 will campaign to ensure that High Speed 2 Phase 1 and 2a are delivered as soon as possible.
The group also supports in principle the Phase 2b sections north of Crewe, including the links to Manchester. The group is currently neutral on the Phase 2b sections linking to Leeds and the East Coast Main Line, pending further information on the impact on West Coast Main Line capacity.