HS2 PRIORITISES COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AS IT WORKS OUT NEW DELIVERY PLANS FOR THE NORTH WEST AND FOR ITS EUSTON STATION LINK

HS2 is working through the practical implications of the Government’s decisions to delay spending on the Birmingham to Crewe leg of the rail route by two years and to postpone construction of the line to Euston station in central London.

Aileen Thompson, Director, Communication and Stakeholder Management, at HS2, told The Railway Industry magazine that the company is working closely with its Joint Venture partners to agree new plans that take into account the rephasing of the project announced by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, in March.

She said people are naturally concerned about the implications of this change, adding “we are working our way through that now. This is a huge project. You can’t flick a switch, and instantly change direction. It takes time to demobilise our contractors and work through the plans. That is what we have been working closely on with the Joint Venture companies, particularly those around the Euston area and on Phase 2a north of Birmingham”.

Thompson was also keen to emphasise that, despite the rephasing, the Government remains committed to delivering HS2 from Euston to Manchester, even though the first trains in the early 2030s will run only to Birmingham Curzon Street from Old Oak Common in west London. “That is a key message for us”, she said “helping people understand this is going ahead.

We are sticking with the vision and the plan, but we do need to work through the implications of this pause”.

“In line with the Government’s direction” she said, “we are pausing the construction in Euston and around Phase 2 areas and using that time to work out, together with Government, how best to deliver the project in an affordable way that meets the demands of stakeholders”.

The Largest Infrastructure Project In Europe

Thompson exudes positivity about the long-term future of HS2, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, emphasising “we are 13 years into a 30-year project. There has been a re-phasing of some elements of the programme around Euston and then Phase 2a and b. So for us that means HS2 is going to be delivered differently than originally planned over the next few years and therefore our communications have got to double down”.

“We have got to be really clear and consistent with all of the different stakeholders” she said, “so they understand what it means for them, for their area, for their business and their other supply chain partners. We are in a marathon, not a sprint. So, maintaining that momentum through consistent communications, through our supply chain, through our partners across the country, will help greater understanding of those initial high-speed services connecting Old Oak Common and Birmingham”.

But there was another point that Thompson was also keen to make –“balancing my positivity, I still think it is a sobering reality that many people along the line of our route are going through discomfort and change as we continue to construct the project and we need to respect that. We need to listen to it and act on it”.

“We have to do everything we possibly can”, she suggested, “to make that situation as good as we can for those individuals. For supply chain, of course, and our contractors working alongside the route that is their big important focus - because, unless we can show that respect, listen, deal with and manage complaints, get on top of and quickly resolve queries people have, then we can’t retain the trust and support in the project as a whole. That is very important to us”.

“We have to be empathetic to some of the discomfort and distress that can be caused” she said, “knowing that we have got a number of ways that we can support communities and individuals and we will continue to do that. It can’t just be warm words. It has to be behaviours on the ground. What is it that we need to do better? Do we need to change how we are communicating, our frequency? Are we being simple enough and clear enough about some of the complex works that might be under way?”

EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT

“That has to be done at speed” she emphasised “and it has to be done with empathy, understanding and support that communities expect in their area to help them cope with the disruption, the traffic, transport and the impacts that construction can cause. Everyone that works on this project is so alive to that. It is something that we will continue to do until that first train leaves Old Oak Common and then Euston”.

Asked about HS2’s relationships with its vast supply chain, Thompson said “overall, we have worked hard, together with our supply chain partners, to make sure that we have got an open, transparent and productive relationship. We characterise our relationships with our supply chain as collaborative, fair, value for money focussed and with shared values”.

She went on to itemise the varied range of ways in which HS2 communicates and partners with suppliers of every size and type, drawing attention, in particular, to its two recent ‘Meet the Contractor’ events in Manchester, on Civils and Stations and Rolling Stock. These enabled potential subcontract suppliers to meet with HS2 contractors directly, promote their business and understand how to access and win work in the supply chain. Thompson herself also runs regular engagement sessions with the communications teams of HS2’s top 20 suppliers to identify ways in which they can support each other’s endeavours.

Looking ahead to future supply chain engagement, she said “we are already getting our thinking caps on, for example, for when our systems supply chain partners will come on board in due course, because that will be the next phase after the construction period, and we are thinking that will be a different set of supply chain partners. How do we work together to get the best out of each other? We are always open to new ideas. We are not the authors of everything. We love the opportunities to consider new ideas that supply chain companies may want to pursue”.