Delyn MP welcomes Government support for Crewe HS2 Hub

Delyn MP David Hanson has welcomed the UK government’s commitment to develop Crewe as an integrated high-speed rail and conventional rail hub.

The new hub at Crewe will open up High-Speed 2, the planned rail network between London, the West Midlands and the North to more people and will have a direct impact for those travelling to and from Flintshire and South East England.

The station will be capable of handling up to seven HS2 trains per hour, each way, and a new northern junction, allowing Crewe and the region to benefit from direct HS2 services to London, Manchester and Birmingham from Crewe.

Support for a Crewe hub has led the Department for Transport to make changes to the phase 2a scheme from Birmingham to Crewe, they include;

• The provision of 400m platforms, extending Platform 5, to allow for the splitting and joining of HS2 services, which also opens opportunities for HS2 services from London to Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield;
• A more efficient design for the station to provide an enhanced passenger experience;
• A change to the design of the rail layout to improve operational performance of trains and reduce the impact on freight services.

The developments will not only make it quicker for people to get to and from Flint to South East England but improve the efficiency of trains between Flintshire and Liverpool and Manchester due to increased capacity on the network.

David Hanson MP said; “After months of campaigning and pressing ministers at the Dispatch Box we have finally had confirmation that the UK Government will accept the proposals to see Crewe train station to become a hub for HS2.

This will dramatically improve our connectivity in Flintshire to the rest of the UK as it will decrease travelling time between us and South East England.

David Hanson MP

It will also help us in driving economic growth with better links and more efficient links with Liverpool and Manchester as capacity on the railway network will be increased.”

“But I am not finished in my campaigning for Flintshire to see its fair share of infrastructure investment.

It is shocking that we still only have one station in Delyn and that our line is still not electrified. We need to catch up with the rest of the UK so that we can deliver the jobs we need.”

“We are still an undiscovered gem in the tourism sector and if we could tap into the wealthy staycation market – especially people from South East England – it would be excellent for our historic market towns and coastal resorts. That can only be achieved if we have a reliable and fast train between Euston and Flint.”