Michael Fabricant has tabled urgent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport following the statement made yesterday (17th March) by Sir David Higgins, the new Chairman of HS2 Limited, when he said that HS2 might run up to Crewe for the first phase of HS2 rather than the second phase.

“This might make a huge difference in Lichfield” says Michael Fabricant. “At present Phase 1 ends in the Lichfield constituency and Phase 2 begins. This necessitates an additional new railway line joining the end of Phase 1 ‘temporarily’ to the West Coast Mainline with a major junction north of the City of Lichfield. It is possible that this might not be necessary if the line is now to be built straight to Crewe. I am seeking to clarify this with the Department for Transport and what other changes might be made to the HS2 route in the constituency. I am still backing the alternative macro route change which would take HS2 in and out of Birmingham using existing rail and road corridors and brownfield sites”.
See http://www.michael.fabricant.mp.co.uk/news-001105.ihtml

Michael adds “I suspect that at this time, they won’t be able to give definitive answers. But meanwhile all this uncertainty regarding the route of HS2 is causing considerable distress to my constituents some of whose property has been badly blighted by the current route of HS2.”