Key legislation for Phase 2B of the HS2 line to Manchester and Leeds, which was expected to be submitted to Parliament in 2019, will now not be submitted until 2020.
While construction of the HS2 line between London and Birmingham is already underway, the aforementioned legislation is needed to extend HS2 to Manchester and Leeds.
The Department of Transport have advised that the delay is as a result of the project taking Northern Powerhouse Rail into account so as to improve services across the north as a whole. As a result, the Bill for Phase 2B is likely to include plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail, which is said to improve HS2 in the long run by connecting it with the East Coast Mainline.
Despite the delay in submitting the Bill, the Department for Transport remains of the opinion the line will be fully operational by 2033. Notwithstanding this, the delay will be frustrating news for those affected by the line.
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