Five things you need to know about David Higgins’s HS2 report

HS2 needs to happen, and faster. That’s the conclusion of David Higgins’s report on High Speed 2 out today. As well as backing up the government’s key arguments for the project on capacity grounds — not speed, which he says is a ‘by-product’ — the chairman of HS2 Ltd has made some recommendations for improving the project. Here are the key things you need to know about the Higgins report:

1. Extension to Crewe should happen in Phase One

Higgins suggests that the first phase of HS2 should include another 43 miles of track from Birmingham to Crewe. This would be brought forward from Phase Two and built by 2027, providing better connections to Stoke, Shrewsbury and Chester among others. Higgins said on the Today programme this morning the Crewe extension would be ‘relatively straightforward to build at relatively low cost’. Although money isn’t included in the Phase One budget, it has already been set aside for Phase Two.