The awards pave the way for the North to receive the benefits of HS2 six years early, a key recommendation of HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins in his 2014 report.
HS2 phase 2a
- Ove Arup & Partners International (civils and environmental services)
- WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff (railway systems)
- Mouchel (site access, land referencing and stakeholder engagement services)
The winning firms will help promoter HS2 prepare a second hybrid bill to provide the powers to bring the new rail link as far as Crewe by 2027, one year after the rest of Phase One.
HS2 chief executive Simon Kirby said: “Bringing HS2 to Crewe six years early will dramatically boost connectivity and improve journeys for millions of people travelling between London, the Midlands and the major cities of the north.
“That’s why I’m pleased to confirm that we have appointed Arup, Mouchel and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to help us push forward with the next stage of the detailed design and help prepare the draft legislation we will need to get Birmingham to Crewe open by 2027.”