On Tuesday 27 November, passengers at Carlisle station will be able to learn more about how high speed trains will serve the city and reduce journey times to Birmingham by 46 minutes and to London by 41 minutes.
Construction of the Phase One route between Birmingham and London is now well underway with 7,000 jobs already supported through the project. When construction peaks, as the full network progresses, that figure is forecast to rise to 30,000.
As an HS2 station destination, Carlisle will benefit significantly from the jobs and business growth that HS2 will bring to the region. Over 90 companies in the North West have already been awarded contracts working on the project, and we expect that number to increase significantly as plans for Phase Two of the railway progress.
In October two new public consultations were launched on the Phase 2b route, which will serve communities between the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds before re-joining the East and West Coast Mainlines. The consultations which close on 21 December, will give communities the opportunity to formally respond to HS2 Ltd’s designs and proposed mitigation measures for the Phase 2b route. Responses are invited from the public on HS2 Ltd’s:
- Working Draft Environmental Statement, which describes the design of the railway and reports on the impacts of its construction and operation, alongside the measures proposed to reduce and monitor these. Volume four of this document provides a summary of proposed works at Preston.
- Working Draft Equality Impact Assessment Report, which considers the potential effects of the construction and operation of the railway on people with protected characteristics.
The public consultations will be supported by a programme of station pop up events, which will see teams from HS2 Ltd visit locations in the North, including Carlisle station, to talk to people about the design plans and the benefits that Britain’s new high speed railway will bring to the region.
Leonie Dubois, HS2’s Head of Consultation and Engagement said: “HS2 trains are coming to Carlisle and Cumbria will reap significant benefits as a result. High speed rail will play a crucial role in rebalancing Britain’s economy; improving rail services, driving tourism and business growth, stimulating investment and creating jobs.
“We are visiting HS2 station destinations on the West Coast Mainline to talk to people about our plans to serve Carlisle. We encourage people to come and talk to us to find out more.”
