According to government leaks, Arup Group and Foster + Partners’ plans for a new station in Leeds may be canceled along with the eastern leg of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project.
Courtesy of Atkins
As suggested by reports in UK’s national press, the government is seeing the cancellation of the eastern extension of the High Speed 2 rail line from Bermingham, which would, accordingly, cancel the new stations built in the East Midlands and Leeds including the one by Arup and Fosters.
Courtesy of Atkins
According to The Sunday Mirror, canceling the eastern leg’s scheme would save £40 billion. Moreover, it quoted an anonymous source as saying “there is no way we’re going to see this built-in our lifetime”. While The Daily Mail reported the unfortunate news as well, saying the eastern leg plan had been “shelved”. Moreover, Mark Thurston, HS2 Limited chief executive, previously confirmed that suspending the planning work on the eastern leg of HS2 has been asked of the public corporation.
It was announced in 2017 that Foster + Partners had been chosen as part of the Arup + team for the civil and environmental engineering of the Midlands-to-Leeds section of the High Speed 2. Since then, Foster + Partners has been working on the scheme of the £500 million Leeds Station. While the master plan was created by Atkins and Gensler, led by Hiro Aso.
Courtesy of Atkins
On the other hand, schemes for the East Midlands Hub in Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire are being carried up by Weston Williamson + Partners, after being appointed the job in 2017 as well.
The Department for Transport said that “The Integrated Rail Plan will soon outline exactly how major rail projects, including HS2 phase 2b will work together to deliver the reliable train services the North and Midlands deserve.”
Courtesy of Gensler’s Hiro Aso
World-famous architecture and construction firms have previously supported the High Speed 2 project, claiming that the north of England needs such investment that would improve the UK’s transportation infrastructure in the long term.
The new terminus was planned to have access to the West Yorkshire city’s existing station from the south and was planned to be complete by 2026.