Law firm Winckworth Sherwood has advised on the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Act 2017 which received Royal Assent yesterday (23 February 2017). The Act authorises the construction and operation of Phase One of the high speed train link between London and the West Midlands.
Winckworth Sherwood has been advising the Department for Transport since 2012 when the hybrid Bill process began, with the team advising on all elements of the Bill as it progressed through Parliament and acting jointly with Eversheds Sutherland.
The work has involved contributions to the drafting of the Bill, guidance on environmental law issues and advice across hundreds of days of Committee hearings in Parliament. The team was involved in the preparation of around 4,500 assurances and agreements given to petitioners to ensure the Bill could progress.
Royal Assent will allow work to begin on the construction of Phase One of the HS2 project, which is the first step in the provision of a new high speed railway network in the UK. Phase One will increase capacity between London and the West Midlands as well as reducing the journey time between London and Birmingham to just 49 minutes. When complete, the route will see trains travelling at speeds of up to 250mph.