Work to start this week on new HS2 plan after eastern leg to Leeds was scrapped

Electrification of train lines will make trains quieter and contribute to decarbonisation.

Main works to electrify the Midland Mainline between Kettering and Market Harborough will start on 24 December, laying the foundation for the planned upgrade of the line all the way to Sheffield and Nottingham.

Electrification of the line to Sheffield is expected to be completed by 2030 and will contribute to decarbonisation and quieter trains as new bi-mode trains will be used which can be powered by overhead electricity or a diesel engine.

The government was met with strong criticism for cancelling the eastern leg of HS2 in November, but said that the Integrated Rail Plan will bring results faster.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Last month, I promised we would get on with delivering the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“Today marks the beginning of a transformation of rail journeys for the Midlands and the North, where we will slash journey times and build better connections between towns, cities and everywhere in between.

“Under our plans, people won’t have to wait two decades for better services. This unprecedented investment will deliver better railways, sooner.”

HS2 trains will still come to Sheffield, but on upgraded mainline tracks rather than high speed tracks, this will cut journey times between Sheffield and London by roughly 30 minutes. This was equal to the Sheffield to London times under the original plan.

Silviya Barrett, Head of Policy and Research at Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This is good news for passengers who will benefit from quicker journeys and better connections, and also good news for the planet. Electrifying more of the railway is key to helping make one of our greenest forms of transport even greener.”

Sheffielders speaking to the Sheffield Telegraph after the HS2 expansion was scrapped in November said that they would rather see improved transport links to other northern cities such as Leeds or Manchester, which are poorly connected by unreliable and slow services.

Barbara Wozencroft from Hangingwater, said: “I have never really seen the point in HS2 - I go to London from Sheffield and it takes about two hours. But it’s not good to get to Leeds or Manchester. If you can get to London quickly why can’t you get to Leeds or Manchester in half an hour?"