London business leaders are backing Manchester's call for the RIGHT HS2 railway station at Piccadilly.
In a powerful show of support for the city region and the north, the influential London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said an underground through station at Piccadilly, instead of the proposed above ground station, was 'just what Britain needs to level up economic and financial opportunities'.
The chamber issued a statement today, Thursday, after a delegation from Manchester travelled to the capital to press home the case ahead of planned hearings of the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill Select Committee next month. Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester city council, and Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell are due to address the committee, among others.
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Sources, meanwhile, have told the Manchester Evening News that a number of 'heavyweight business voices' in the capital and elsewhere are also now backing Manchester's call for the Government to think again.
One said: "Manchester Piccadilly Station first opened in 1842. Although it has been through various incarnations, decisions taken way back then about its location and form still affect us 180 years later. It's vital that we get this right - not just for us but for our children, grandchildren and subsequent generations."
The city region argues that what's good for Manchester and the wider north of England is good for London as well, and vice versa. At their heart, the plans are about creating and unlocking capacity on the rail network.
The new Manchester Piccadilly HS2 station - which will also incorporate Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) links - would be 'key' to unlocking east-west journeys, further boosting the UK's economy and productivity, said the chamber.
However, Manchester argues that current HS2 proposals for an above ground station limit the scope for growth, and undermine connectivity benefits. Modelling suggests that as soon as both HS2 and NPR services are up and running, it will be close to maximum capacity.
At a meeting between LCCI Chief Executive Richard Burge and coun Craig, Manchester also reiterated the importance of ensuring that HS2 goes all the way to Euston and does not stop short at Old Oak Common. Mr Burge said London would now work side-by-side with Manchester to campaign for an underground station.
He said: "HS2 is meant to be Europe's largest infrastructure project that will narrow the economic disparities across the UK. An underground HS2 station at Manchester Piccadilly is just what Britain needs to level up economic and financial opportunities.
"Delivering Britain's cutting-edge and a modern rail line like HS2 requires joint effort and co-operation.
"Which is why, we are ready to work with the Manchester City Council to provide a rail network that will enhance trade links between London and Manchester. This will allow business professionals and tourists to get in and out of London to northern regional centres, as quickly and efficiently as possible and strengthen the thriving business community of Manchester and the north."
The proposed high-speed rail line running north west from London to Manchester through Birmingham has faced plenty of criticism over the years, with factors like the financial cost being objected to. The initial budget for the whole project set in 2015 was £55.7 billion, but more recent estimates in 2019 put the total predicted cost between £72 billion and £98 billion.
It was widely expected that a new underground station on the northern flank of Piccadilly railway station would be built as part of the HS2 line from London to Manchester, via Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester Airport. But in April last year, then Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the underground option had been ruled out because it would 'take a lot of money out of other parts of the network'.
Instead the Government is proposing a cut-price overground station which will see trains emerge from the ground in Ardwick before travelling on a mile-long viaduct of up to 12 metres in height to reach the new surface station.
Coun Craig described HS2 as a 'once in a generation national infrastructure project which will be critical to our future growth and prosperity'.
"We have to make sure from the outset that we get it right to deliver the maximum benefits – as the decisions taken now will dictate the face of our city for decades to come," she said.
"We welcome the support of LCCI as we continue to press the case for an underground HS2-NPR station at Manchester Piccadilly and share their determination to ensure that the optimum version of HS2, going all the way to Euston, is delivered.
"When it comes to connectivity and productivity what’s good for Manchester and the wider north of England is good for London and vice versa. Getting HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail right will improve the country as a whole."
Coun Craig said an underground station would cost more, but would deliver many more millions of pounds in economic benefit to the city region and the north. An above ground station, she said, would be 'inefficient and unable to cope with future growth'.
"It will be squashed into the available space and provide a poor welcome to the city," said coun Craig.
"Carrying Northern Powerhouse Rail lines from Ardwick to a new overground station would require unsightly overground infrastructure such as concrete viaducts – blighting the city and severing connections.
"What's more, it would swallow some of the very regeneration benefits HS2 would bring by gobbling up almost half a million square metres of prime land which could have supported 14,000 jobs, much-needed housing and new green spaces. The larger construction zone will also mean much more disruption to existing jobs and businesses.
"An underground station, better integrated with existing transport, solves all of these issues and creates the 21st Century interchange passengers deserve.
"Granted, it would cost more initially. But by 2050 it would be delivering £333 million A YEAR more benefits to the city’s economy than the overground proposal.
"We will continue to make the case to Government for the underground solution. Otherwise they, and we, will be counting the cost for a very long time."
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