The proposed changes – Additional Provision 2 (AP2) – have been introduced to Parliament.
The Bill, which seeks powers to extend and operate the new network to Manchester, was submitted to Parliament in January 2022. The first set of proposed changes – Additional Provision 1 (AP1) – was introduced six months later.
The latest proposed changes are open to public consultation until August 31.
Stephen Smith, head of consultation and engagement for HS2’s Phase 2b programme, said the design changes reflected the ongoing commitment to minimise disruption during construction and operation.
“Feedback from communities plays a vital role in the design process and we encourage people to have their say before the consultation closes,” he said.
The changes, which in some cases require additional land and powers, include relocating the Palatine Road vent shaft required for the Manchester tunnel to outside the Didsbury Flood Storage Basin; relocating Junction 6 of the M56 motorway to the south-west; and modifications to road junctions in several areas to increase capacity and reduce the impact of construction workforce movements on existing road users.
Supporting documentation and information about the consultation can be found at www.hs2.org.uk/crewe-manchester
In March, the government announced the line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester would be delayed by two years in an attempt to mitigate inflationary pressure and rising project costs.
It says it is committed to HS2 trains eventually terminating at Euston Station in central London, but for now it is prioritising the service between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham.
In 2021 the government scrapped the Birmingham to Leeds section of HS2.
