Phase 1 Overview

What are the timescales for this phase?

In 2012 the Government said it wanted to proceed with phase one of HS2. A hybrid bill was submitted to parliament in November 2013. It has now completed the Parliamentary process in both houses and is expected to receive Royal Assent in February 2017. Royal Assent is when the Queen formally agrees to make the Bill an Act of Parliament. It will grant deemed planning permission for the construction, operation and maintenance of HS2 Phase One. The first part of construction, the enabling works (for example, archaeology, utilities diversions, early planting), will commence shortly after this.

The line is expected to open to passengers in 2026.

For more information please visit the HS2 website.

What will the new line do?

Link London to the West Midlands with a connection onto the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre in Lichfield. In Staffordshire, the railway will pass through Lichfield District and through the Parishes of Drayton Bassett, Hints, Weeford, Swinfen and Packington, Whittington, Fradley and Streethay, and Kings Bromley. The 12 mile railway through Lichfield joins the West Coast Main Line near to Handsacre.

Find out about the environmental impact of the new line.

Can I petition against this phase?

No, petitioning on Phase One has now closed. Existing petitions against the bill are on the HS2 bill select committee website, including ours.

As a result of our petition we received four assurances from HS2 Ltd. We will continue to work through the remaining items in our petition to reach the best possible outcome.

View the assurances and undertakings.

Can I claim compensation?

The residents’ charter and further information on the compensation schemes are available on the .gov website.

Where can I access phase one documents?

Documents can be accessed on the HS2 website, or at various locations and libraries in Staffordshire.

Find out more about locations where you can view the documents.