First look: HS2 stations at Manchester Airport and Crewe
Royal London Asset Management, the owner of land earmarked for a Manchester Airport HS2 station, has created an image of how the scheme should look if it goes ahead, while Cheshire East Council's architect Farrells has released an image of the station at Crewe.
A report from HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins released yesterday recommended that the proposed high speed train route into Manchester should go via the airport, and announced Crewe as the location for a Northern hub.
Investment company RLAM, part of Royal London Group, owns more than 300 acres of land close to the Airport City enterprise zone and M56, known as Davenport Green.
Gareth Dickson, head of property at RLAM, said: "We strongly share the view of Greater Manchester's leaders that a Manchester Airport station offers a major opportunity to boost the economic benefits of HS2 for the city region.
"We have already written to HS2 Ltd making clear our support for a new Manchester Airport Station and proposed a station configuration on our land at Davenport Green that maximises the opportunity to create new jobs, improves local connectivity and saves money. Our focus is on integrating the station into a modern transport system to attract high profile businesses into Greater Manchester."
Cheshire East Council appointed Farrells two years ago to work up a design for the station at Crewe, which had been competing with Stoke-On-Trent as the location for a Northern 'superhub'. Higgins has called for the HS2 extension from Birmingham to Crewe to be completed by 2027, five years earlier than planned.
The artist's impression shows a station which combines HS2, West Coast main line and local services.
Click either image to expand
- CGI of Crewe Superhub HS2 station by Farrells
- Aerial of Manchester Airport HS2 station by Royal London Asset Management
…and how far will the walk be from the new Crewe station to the town centre? Looks like its even further south than the current one! The town centre already feels totally disconnected from the station, which is the only real asset Crewe currently has. Greenfield station at Basford (i.e. "not really Crewe") seems an own-goal for Cheshire East to me.
By big bones jones
Are they planning on putting a tram link in Crewe or is that inclusion on the righ hand side of the picture just for show?
By MancLass
There’s been talk of a pie-in-the-sky system to get over the ridiculous distance of the new station from Crewe. This won’t get funding of course, and shouldn’t.
By big pie jones
Briefly, can anyone explain what the point of the Crewe station is? Is it mainly as an interchange?
By HS2 query
Yes, it would just be an interchange. Its over 2 miles south of Crewe town centre so is useless as a way of actually getting to Crewe.
Would also assist some new developments around it, no doubt. Not necessarily great for the existing area though.
By big walk jones