After the announcement that the HS2 link between Birmingham and Crewe will open one year after Phase One, and six years earlier than expected, Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering commented:

"Following last week’s news that the budget envelope for HS2 was now set, the announcement that the western leg of HS2 will be delivered six years early, a key measure of success the ACE has been campaigning for over the past two years, is welcome indeed. The benefits this will bring to the North, new jobs, more housing, greater connectivity, will go a long way to realising the government’s vision of the Northern Powerhouse and regenerating vast areas of the UK.

"In addition, the industry will benefit and be able to plan accordingly based on the forward pipeline that this acceleration will provide. The challenge now will be to deliver and ACE will continue to push government to work as closely with the industry as it can to ensure the project is well developed, costs are managed, and the supply chain is effectively deployed. The success of HS2 is counting on all parties to perform as expertly as we know they can."

ENDS