Issue - meetings

This report advises on the government’s initiative to create a new company High Speed Two (HS2) to investigate the high speed rail issue, sets out the position of the Assembly and City Region and advises on the outcome of the recent review undertaken to establish a policy position for York.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the policy position for York, as set out in the Arup review, be agreed and that further work be focused on:

a)                 reducing journey times between Leeds and York, particularly through the electrification of the line between Leeds and York;

b)                 promoting the benefits of any HS2 parkway stops being located to the east of Leeds, and

c)                  securing shorter term improvements to the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

                        (ii)        That Members and Officers continue to lobby though the appropriate forums for ongoing investment in the ECML.

REASON:      To ensure that the advantages of high speed rail connections are realised for York and that continued investment in existing rail infrastructure and facilities is not delayed or cancelled, given the indicative 2026 start date for HS2.

Members considered a report which informed them of a government initiative to create a new company, High Speed Two (HS2), to investigate the high speed rail (HSR) issue.  The report also outlined the position of the Assembly and City Region on high speed rail, together with the results of a review carried out to establish a policy position in York. 

The objectives for HS2 were to increase capacity and speed to optimise journey times, build freight capacity and gain modal shift from cars and air travel.  The City Region’s position, as outlined in paragraphs 10 and 11, was that there was a strong economic case for an HSR link to Leeds and Sheffield, that it was important to secure upgrades to existing lines in the short to medium term and that all options should be kept open for an HSR link to the north, with particular scope for considering a more easterly alignment.

In York, Officers had commissioned a report from Arups to bring together existing independent studies and provide a view on other rail opportunities to support economic rail opportunities for York.  Arup’s report, attached as Annex A, had concluded that a direct link to HSR at York would be unlikely, as borne out by the route recommended by HS2, attached as Annex B.  However, York could be connected to an HSR network by local services to Leeds, or via a ‘parkway’ stop to the east of Leeds. The report recommended that in the short term the Council should continue to lobby for improvements to the East Coast Main Line but in the longer term should support the introduction of an HSR rail line connection either directly or via a parkway station.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the policy position for York, as set out in the Arup review, be agreed and that further work be focused on:

a)                 reducing journey times between Leeds and York, particularly through the electrification of the line between Leeds and York;

b)                 promoting the benefits of any HS2 parkway stops being located to the east of Leeds, and

c)                  securing shorter term improvements to the East Coast Main Line (ECML). ¹

                        (ii)        That Members and Officers continue to lobby though the appropriate forums for ongoing investment in the ECML. ²

REASON:      To ensure that the advantages of high speed rail connections are realised for York and that continued investment in existing rail infrastructure and facilities is not delayed or cancelled, given the indicative 2026 start date for HS2.