We all know that having access to reliable transportation is pretty crucial for our daily lives. Whether you’re a busy mum, a career-driven singleton, or a retiree who just needs to visit the shops weekly, having good transportation options available in your area can make all the difference. After all, who wants to deal with the stress and inconvenience of poor transportation infrastructure?
That’s where good transportation links come in – they can open up a whole world of opportunities, from better job prospects to the ability to explore new places. This is often key reason why homeowners look to sell house fast, as they are keen to move to areas with better transport links for work.
Stoke-on-Trent has had decent transportation links in the past, but like many other places, it hasn’t seen much investment in recent years. But that’s all about to change with the building of the HS2 railway. This new railway will connect the city to London in just 70 minutes on state-of-the-art trains. Not only that, but the HS2 Growth Strategy predicts that this growth will be worth £6.4 billion, with the Constellation Partnership aiming to deliver 100,000 new homes and 120,000 new jobs by 2040.
So is Stoke-on-Trent becoming a commuter hub? Well, let’s take a look at the evidence.
Stoke’s Current Transportation Links
The city is well connected by both road and rail. The M6 motorway runs through the area and connects it to other major cities and towns in the region, including Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool. The A50 also passes through the city, providing a link to Derby and the M1 motorway.
In terms of public transportation, Stoke-on-Trent has several railway stations, including Stoke-on-Trent, Longport, and Kidsgrove, which provide regular services to major destinations such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham. In addition, the National Cycle Network Route 5 passes through the city, providing an alternative means of transportation for those who prefer to cycle.
Stoke on Trent by Rail
Stoke-on-Trent has several railway stations that provide regular services to major destinations in the region. The main station in the city is Stoke-on-Trent, which is located in the heart of the city and is served by several train operators, including London Northwestern Railway and Avanti West Coast. The station provides direct services to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, and Manchester Piccadilly, as well as other destinations in the region.
Longport and Kidsgrove are other stations located in the city, providing connections to destinations such as Crewe, Manchester and Liverpool. The Staffordshire Moorlands Railway Line and the Crewe-Derby Line run through the city, providing additional connections to other destinations in the region. The West Coast Main Line, one of the most important railway lines in the country, passes through the city, providing connections to major destinations such as London and Glasgow.
Key Connection Times
Being located in the Midlands, the journey times both north and south are not too lengthy. The train journey from Stoke-on-Trent to London takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes on average, with the quickest journey taking 1 hour and 15 minutes and the slowest journey taking 1 hour and 50 minutes on Northwestern Railway and Avanti West Coast trains. The train journey from Stoke-on-Trent to Birmingham takes around 30 minutes on average, and to Manchester around 40 minutes. If you prefer to travel by car, the journey from Stoke-on-Trent to London takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes, to Birmingham takes around 1 hour and to Manchester takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on traffic conditions which as we know are hard to predict at the best of times!
The Future – HS2
The High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project is set to revolutionize travel between Stoke-on-Trent and London. With the new junction at Handsacre, near Lichfield, HS2 will connect to the existing West Coast Main Line, allowing for journey times of just 70 minutes on state-of-the-art 225mph trains. But the benefits of HS2 extend far beyond just faster travel times. The Constellation Partnership, a collaboration between Cheshire and Staffordshire, has ambitious plans to deliver 100,000 new homes and 120,000 new jobs by 2040, all made possible by HS2’s improved connectivity. The HS2 Growth Strategy predicts that this growth will be worth £6.4 billion. As the capital of The Constellation, Stoke-on-Trent is in a prime position to take advantage of this growth. The city’s commercial, retail, and leisure hub is rapidly developing and has huge potential for further growth.
With the ongoing transformation of the city centre, the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone, and the UK ceramics industry, Stoke-on-Trent is one of three key industry, growth, and transport hubs driving growth throughout The Constellation. Local companies are also set to benefit from HS2. Wardell Armstrong, a firm based in Stoke-on-Trent, has secured £6 million worth of work on the project, including two new contract awards in 2021. The regular pipeline of work supporting the delivery of the first two phases of HS2 has enabled the company to expand its workforce across its 13 UK offices, and its headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent.
In conclusion, HS2 is not only going to make travel between Stoke-on-Trent, London and elsewhere much faster, but it is also going to drive business growth and create jobs in the region. The city of Stoke-on-Trent is in a prime position to take advantage of this growth, and local companies are already reaping the benefits of HS2. With all this in mind, Stoke on Trent is well positioned to revolutionise itself as a genuine commuter hub in the Midlands and should enjoy the benefits this could bring. Watch this space to see if it materializes over the coming years!
