CEA concern as East Midlands-Leeds HS2 line is cancelled

The CEO of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) has expressed concern after the UK government announced that the East Midlands-Leeds HS2 high-speed rail line will not be built.

By Liam McLoughlin November 19, 2021 Read time: 1 min

The CEA's Suneea Johal said: "The concern is whether the government will row back on other infrastructure ‘commitments’."

The CEA's Suneeta Johal said that the demise of Phase 2b of the HS2 project - the East Midlands-Leeds HS2 high-speed line - clouds the original vision of HS2 as a dynamic North/South link in line with the levelling up agenda.

She added: "The concern is whether the government will row back on other infrastructure ‘commitments’. A solid project pipeline is the lifeblood of our sector.”

The CEA response came after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the government's new Integrated Rail Plan to overhaul the HS2 project.

Shapps said that, under the original scheme, the HS2 track would not have reached the East Midlands or the North until the early 2040s and that a re-think had been needed to deliver the project's objectives for the regions.

He added that there was a clear and very convincing case for considering HS2 as part of an integrated rail plan that should work alongside local, regional and national services, not just those travelling between the country's biggest cities.

Quarry Products

For more information on companies in this article

Construction Equipment Association

MPA says HS2 uncertainty “beggars belief”

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has expressed consternation at the UK government’s decision to review the HS2 high-speed rail megaproject.

MPA CEO Nigel Jackson said: “Our members have invested in detailed planning and improved capacity to supply the tens of millions of tonnes of materials required for this major public infrastructure project. We are most concerned to see yet more delay and uncertainty over HS2. The Government should decide promptly, commit firmly and deliver the project on time.

January 23, 2020

“Get HS2 done” urges MPA

Mineral Products Association chief executive Nigel Jackson has urged the UK government to press ahead with the massive HS2 rail project.

The scheme will connect London, the Midlands and northern England and cut travel times using trains that can travel at up to 250mph. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has asked for more data before making a final decision. Some estimates now put the total cost of HS2 at £112bn, compared to the figure of £56bn given in 2015.