Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date construction work is planned to commence on the West Midlands to Crewe portion of HS2.

Construction work will begin on Phase 2a of the High Speed Two (HS2) rail project after the High Speed 2 (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill has passed through the full Parliamentary process. We aim to have Royal Assent by December 2019 which would mean that construction would begin in 2020. Some enabling work may commence earlier, such as modifications to utilities, highways and existing railway, under separate legal powers.