After years of controversy surrounding the high-speed HS2 rail project, the Prime Minister has announced that the north Wales mainline will be electrified with £1bn that had previously been earmarked for the HS2 scheme. This means that the HS2 route will run only from London to Birmingham and not to Manchester as originally planned due to concerns over spiralling costs. The funds will now be redirected to projects throughout the UK, including the one in north Wales, a decision welcomed by business leaders in the area who previously labelled HS2 a “vanity project for England.”
Although some have criticised the reallocation of funds, many are applauding the move. “Today’s announcement will unlock north Wales’ unique potential by transforming its economy and infrastructure,” said Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, adding, “For too long, the people of north Wales have been ignored by an incompetent Labour Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay, but the UK government is correcting that wrong.” However, the announcement has drawn criticism from some quarters who believe more benefits for north Wales could have come from improving links to the two major international airports in north-west England, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as the Port of Holyhead on Anglesey.
HS2 had been classified as an England and Wales project with advocates asserting that it would boost reliability, connectivity and capacity on routes across the UK, including services into Wales. A station at Crewe was earmarked as an interchange for north Wales and, as a result, Wales was initially denied any consequential funding. However, judging by the reaction to the Prime Minister’s announcement, business leaders feel that north Wales will be best served by investing in improved infrastructure at home, instead of relying on links to other regions.
Some commentators believe that the announcement could prove to be politically significant, with seven Welsh seats due to be contested at the next general election. Whether businesses and voters see this as a positive move is yet to be seen, but for now, the promise of £1bn will go some way in delivering the improvements in transport infrastructure that north Wales has long sought
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